Singled: Inside The Only-Child Family

By Kaia Findlay,

Anita Rao

Published March 10, 2023 at 5:30 AM EST

Anita has many close friends who defy all stereotypes about only children. But when it comes to thinking about having her own kids, she still can't shake some of those ingrained ideas. She hears three perspectives on single-kid families (including that of former U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins) and learns why the debunked mythology around only children still lingers today.

Meet the guests:

Lauren Sandler, journalist and author of "One and Only: The Freedom of Having an Only Child, and the Joy of Being One,” shares her personal experience and ways to reframe the negative stereotypes about being and having only children
Corinne Lyons, a middle school teacher in Detroit, talks about how her childhood being the only child of only children has shaped how she thinks about family
Billy Collins, former U.S. poet laureate, reads his poem "Only Child" and shares the joy of being an only child