If you're an only child, you likely have a variety of hobbies that make you seem a little, well, unique. As an only child myself, I know all too well the hobbies I had as an only child in the '90s were sometimes considered esoteric — or, for lack of a better word, weird. But hey! Us only children had to make do with what we had: No one was around to play with us, so of course we had to have an elaborate dinner party with our stuffed animals. And when we weren't doing things alone, we were hanging out with adults, and that can translate into some hobbies that are a little surprising for a kid — crossword puzzles with hot chocolate by the fire, anyone? Watching reruns on the Food Network?
If you happened to be a teenager when you were an only child in the '90s, you know full well you spent many a school night staring at your ceiling and waiting for the phone to ring so you could get the heck out of your house and hang out with people. Or, you know, wandering around the mall by yourself until your friends got done with family movie night. Because while only children are often, well, alone, it doesn't mean we're lonely. In fact, we're largely an independent bunch. But with independence can sometimes come some unique ways to keep ourselves busy.
If you were an only child in the '90s, I'm willing to bet these hobbies were will ring so true for you. So break out some Pop Tarts (and don't worry — still no need to share) for our journey down memory lane.
1. Winning Every Single Single-Player Video Game In Existence
Not all only children play video games, but let's be real: Every kid in the '90s got their hands on a Nintendo at least once in a while, and you better believe us only children nailed the single-player games. No siblings or split-screens needed!
2. Perfecting Your Geocities Website
A nice thing about being an only child means you only had to share your computer with your parents. For us '90s kids, that means you had a lot of time to perfect your Geocities page and burn CDs.
3. Meticulously Organizing Your Pokemon Card Collection
Your Pokemon cards were always on point, and always in their clear protectant coversheets in your binder. No fingerprints, please!
4. Treating Yourself To An Afternoon At The Mall
Let's be real: After a certain age, you don't want to be seen at the mall with your parents. So if you're an only child, you've got to get used to hanging out at at Claire's and Hot Topic by yourself.
5. Learning How To Cook From Your Parents
As an only child, you got to spend a lot of time with the adults in your life. This could be pretty boring at the time, but at least it also taught you lots of useful skills. Remember all those dinners you whipped up by yourself, for yourself? Those are some early developed adulting skills right there.
6. Going To The Movies Solo
You know who is great at doing something on their own? An only child. Contrary to popular myth, only children often love spending time with others, but we are also more than OK with doing the things we want even when no one else is around, including "social" activities, like going to the movies on a Friday night.
7. Babysitting All The Little Kids In The Neighborhood
If we're known for anything, it's being responsible. And what do responsible teenagers do? Babysit.
8. Putting Elaborate Decorations On Your Book Covers
If anyone knows their way around gel pens and Lisa Frank stickers, it's an only child with an afternoon to themselves. No distractions, no rushing, and no sharing equals a lot of time for perfecting those bubble letters.
9. Reading Literally Every Book You Could Find
You know what they say — having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card.
10. Baking The Perfect Treats In Your Easy-Bake Oven
Ah, uninterrupted time in your own personal "kitchen." And no one to have to share your desserts with, either!
11. Mastering Your Skip-It In The Driveway
Admittedly, many sports are challenging to play by yourself, but only children are ace at solo games. Skip-It, anyone?
12. Playing Against Yourself During Every Board Game
Is it a little strange to get into the right headspace where you beat yourself in Scrabble or Connect Four? Yes. Has every only child done it? Yes.
13. Doing Our Homework
OK, not the most exciting hobby, but a hobby none the less.
14. Building Living Room Forts For Solo Sleepovers
Having a sleepover by yourself might seem just like, you know, going to bed, but only children know full well that with a pillow fort and flashlight, you can easily have the sleepover experience by yourself — just quieter.
15. Teaching Our Furbies Every Word In The Dictionary
Not to make it a competition, but which Furbies of the '90s had the biggest vocabularies? My unscientific estimate is that us only children had the rest of the neighborhood beat. We put a lot of time into it, after all!
Images: ABC; Giphy (15)
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