What it's REALLY like to grow up as an only child.

If you grew up with bratty siblings, chances are you longed to be an only child every now and then.

Now, only children are sharing what it was really like to grow up solo on Reddit.

It’s a fascinating insight – and the take home message is that growing up as an only child came with its fair share of ups and downs.

Here are some of the best responses:

• It's a good and bad thing honestly. You get a lot of attention but loneliness hits hard when parents aren't around. The feeling of wanting a sibling is strong but so is wanting to stay an only child. - moepaulino 

• While you do get attention from your parents, when they aren't around, you're incredibly more alone. And if your parents are divorced and both work, it's that much worse. - CoyoteTheFatal 

• As the only child you were the centre of attention whether you wanted it or not. Very little was denied especially in my case being an only child and the only grandchild as well. But there was no one to have your back. - Im_not_that_angry 

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• Punishments were extreme and immediate. Rewards were extravagant and underappreciated. The loneliness never went away. - Scarlet_Hex

• I think it made me more creative (home alone a lot, you have to keep yourself entertained) and less dependant on people. I don't get lonely very quickly. - KingOfBel-Air

• Resources that would have been split if I had a sibling all went to me, and I never had to share anything. My parents were never home either, because they worked nights, so I always had to get my own dinner together, etc. It developed me to become a bit more independent than a lot of my peers, which I think is a good thing. - ThatYourFinger

It's a fascinating insight - and it's made us all appreciate our own siblings a little bit more.

Were you an only child? How did you find it?