One-child families: The joy and the challenge of raising an only child

One-child families are not lacking, they are just different. An only child gets more attention and is easier to manage outside the house or going from A to B, says Deirdre McArdle

Five-year-old Daisy McArdle having fun with her parents Deirdre and Glen during a recent family day out in Rostellan. Picture: Howard Crowdy

After a family party, I, my husband, and our daughter returned to our peaceful, calm house. We all took a deep breath and enjoyed the quiet of our one-child household.

In Europe, the one-child is the fastest-growing family unit. In the EU, almost half (49.4%) of families are one-child.