SOCIAL SCIENCES

One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One

by Lauren Sandler
S. & S. 2013. 224p. ISBN 9781451626957. $24.99. CHILD REARING
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Journalist Sandler, an only child and mother of one by choice, offers a text in defense of choosing to have a single child, suggesting there is truth to the saying that "first children tend to be a choice parents make to fulfill their own lives and a second child tends to be a choice parents make to fulfill the life of their existing child ." Unfortunately, this premise will ring false with many readers and does little to advance the author's position. Sandler includes copious research throughout, showing how "singletons tend to score higher on intelligence tests and find greater success in school and work" and debunks myths such as "if siblings provide critical learning experiences for each other, the absence of siblings must mean that these lessons are not learned."
VERDICT Neither memoir nor parenting text, this is a verbose review of the literature, and there remains room for a modern guide on the aspects of choosing and raising an only child.
Reviewed by Julianne Smith , Aug 01, 2013
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