The Science of Siblings

The relationships that we have with our siblings may last longer than any other relationships that we have in our lives, and the impact that our siblings have on us doesn’t stop in adolescence. We’ve all heard the usual stereotypes associated with birth order: the first born is a high-achiever, the middle children tend to get lost in the mix, and the youngest are known for being risk-takers. Our self-image and even our happiness are impacted by our relationships with our siblings, and we also tend to learn about the opposite sex from them. Even though we fight with them when we are young, the arguments that we have with our siblings help us to learn how to negotiate conflict, a skill that we bring to adulthood. The way we deal with family milestones like aging or sick parents who need additional care is also impacted by the relationships we have with our siblings, and though it can be hard, we can learn to renew and strengthen our sibling relationships in the process. Just because you no longer share a childhood bedroom doesn’t mean your sibling relationships no longer impact your life, demonstrating how important it is to work on these lifelong relationships.

Parade, 6/22/13