A chance to offer your perspective!

by on October 16, 2011

in Articles

Rise of the Onlies – A feature length documentary

After making her first documentary Seeking Happily Ever After Michelle Cove understood the blood, sweat, tears that go into taking on such a project. She vowed she was done with films—unless something truly irresistible came up.  Then the idea struck: Michelle, mom to an only child by choice, became fascinated by the world of one-child families, the fastest growing family type in the U.S. (She is filming only in the U.S. but plans to seek international distribution.) So once again, Michelle picked up her video camera and started shooting her next feature-length documentary Rise of the Onlies (www.riseoftheonlies.com).

In this feature-length film, Michelle will be exploring what stereotypes of only children still exist, why they persist, and which can be debunked; what, if any, generalizations CAN be made about only children; and how others can understand what is quickly becoming the “new traditional family.” By following three diverse one-child families, she will show some of the main concerns and issues that these families face, including the external pressure to have more kids, the resistance to confrontation felt by many only children, the need for parents of only children to encourage independence, etc.

She is also collecting informal research from adult only children and parents of only children, which is where you come in.

Michelle Cove

According to Michelle, there will also be an educational component to the film, and it’s important for to go beyond the formal research to hear what’s on the minds of this demographic.  What specific topics would YOU find most helpful? Michelle hopes you will share your own story or perspective in order to add to her research. Visit www.riseoftheonlies.com using the contact form on the website.

“I will say this,” says Michelle, who has received over 100 emails so far from parents of onlies: there is definitely a desire among one-child families to show that these kids are NOT the ‘lonely misfits’ they’re still portrayed as. I am excited by the opportunity to change the perceptions and assumptions people have around onlies and the choice to have one.”

Tagged as: documentary, film, new traditional family, rise of the onlies, sterotypes

  • Margo George

     It seems as if all the writing and research on only children is done by people with siblings, assuming it is the same as losing a sibling.  Surprise, you don’t miss what you’ve never had.  If possible direct me  to a book about onlies, written by an only, not the parent or someone who has  siblings and lost them. 

  • Keyassess

    This website is becoming more balanced. Well done for presenting both sides of the coin.

  • Maddy Marron

    Never let your child be an only child. I hate it and I am so alone.

    • Margo

      I am an only, and contrary to (popular) belief, I was not lonely as a child, and I am not lonely now.  As a child, I had cousins and friends, if I wanted company, and lovely solitude if I did not.  As an adult, there was a husband, he died. I miss him, only because I had him for 35yrs.
      You don’t miss what you never had!   If you are lonely and are an adult, it’s your choice

      • Sammi

        I know this was written 5 years ago, but Margo, that is seriously a messed up thing to say to someone. I didn’t have cousins nor did I have friends, and not for a lack of trying. Heck, I didn’t even have parents. I had a grandmother who was bitter because social services stuck her with me and she was afraid of what people would think if she said no. I lived in a small farming comunity where i was the only child my age within miles. So my human interaction was very limited, and i never got the chance to learn to make friends. Trying to become friends with someone is so comleatly agonising as I am constantly breaking social taboos I didn;t know about. Something seemingly simpple as going out shopping with a frined, near destryoed me, because I couldn’t figure out my role, or what the social etiquite is for shopping.Sorry for the poor typing, I am having visions issues and can’t see the screen well. Any social interaction I di get, results in 3 days of me crying over all the things I did wrong not being able to grasp the concept of playful banter…I want frinds so bad, but never getting a chance to devlop social skills as a kid has ruined me.

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