The Only Children’s Transition to Adulthood: Brief Research Report in their Academic and Professional Achievement

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to analyze the academic and work achievement of the only children in their early adulthood. Data were taken from an ongoing longitudinal study that followed a large sample of participants from elementary public schools until their late twenties. Regarding academic attainment it was found that, as young adults, the only children had achieved more school grades than their peers; but when participants were distributed in two subsamples the differences between the only children and children with siblings disappeared in the last subsample. Regarding professional achievement, it was found that only children started to work later and took fewer jobs than their peers. No other differences were found between the two groups in the remaining variables of academic and professional achievement in early adulthood. Possible implications of these findings for education of the only child at school or in the family are discussed.