The Silent Burden of an Only Child: Why One Is Not Always Enough

New Delhi: Dr Sunita Sayammagaru, a Hyderabad-based doctor who trained in the UK, has urged young couples to consider having more than one child, raising concern over the emotional and practical burden that single children face while caring for ageing parents alone.

Posting on X, Dr Sayammagaru raised concern that in her clinic and in society, she often sees single children getting burnt out looking after their parents, especially when parents have chosen to have only one child.

Dr Sayammagaru also clarified that her worry is not about financial pressure but about the emotional toll on the child. “Why should the child look after the parents’ needs alone when the parents have been selfish to have only one child? How much can one child bear?” she questioned.

Dr Sayammagaru shared an incident she heard recently, where a couple in their late 50s died within two months of each other, and their only son, around 25, also died about a year later. “He was apparently unwell since the death of his parents,” she noted, adding that single children can face severe loneliness if they lose parents early. 

The doctor cited industrialist Yash Birla’s example, highlighting how he lost both parents but recovered with the support of extended family and personal relationships. Dr Sayammagaru added that not everyone has that support system, especially today when many families do not maintain close connections with extended relatives.

Dr Sayammagaru advised that if couples decide to have only one child, they should actively involve the child with uncles, aunts, and cousins, regardless of any family differences, to ensure emotional security for the child.

She suggested that building a strong extended family circle or having siblings helps children feel secure and supported, particularly when parents are no longer around. “No child, including a young adult, should live alone,” she said, emphasising the need for a support system for every child.

The Post Divides The Internet   

Dr Sayammagaru’s post on X drew widespread attention, sparking a wave of comments from people sharing a range of perspectives on her views. 

One user commented, taking an economic angle, “The problem is economic. In the 1960s, a single earning parent could take care of 5 kids. But now two earning parents find it difficult to afford to care for one child. The conspiracy theorist in me says it's all a part of a design by the government. Devalue money, devalue labor.” 

Another user gave it an emotional perspective, writing, “So true, can validate each and every word of yours from personal experience. The emotional void that a single child bears for the rest of his/her life after their parents leave cannot be expressed in words, takes ages to heal, even then it’s never complete.”

One netizen raised a practical question to Dr Sayammagaru, asking, “And what should be the gap between two?”

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