Category: Sibling

This chapter provides a review of the literature and already existing data in relation to practitioners’ views on the impact of sibling separation on the emotional development of a child in care. ‘The foster care social service system is designed to ameliorate adverse family and environmental conditions that may interfere with typical child development. Currently, the system provides short- and long-term out of home placement to children whose parents are deemed unable to care adequately for them’(The impact of foster care on development, 2006 pg. 57).It is increasingly recognised that a time of healthy and stable family life can be of profound healing to a child deprived of these things in his or her birth family (Wiener,2007 pg.7) Moreover, Bowlby notes, the terms ‘separation’ and ‘loss’ suggest that’ the attachment figure of the individual is inaccessible ‘(Bowlby Vol. 2 1998: 42) and it does not necessarily mean physical inaccessibility but may also include being’ emotionally distant ‘(Bowlby Vol. 2 1998: 43). Furthermore, this chapter will explore the importance of sibling relationships and the role that siblings play in development, as well as the importance of maintaining contact. An important question associated with sibling separation is practitioners’ views on this subject. I will therefore also be exploring the literature in relation to practitioners’ experiences. Before proceeding to examine these areas, it is important to note that the focus of this research are the effects that separation can have on the emotional development of a child. In addition, it should be noted that the psychological well-being of children in the care system has improved due to the resulting rise in studies on both challenges and approaches to support those children with mental health needs. (Carr 2000).

The term sibling can be hard to define especially with children in foster care who have often lived in various families. Research indicates that biological relatedness was not associated with young children’s perceptions of closeness to siblings; being a full, half, or stepsibling did not influence their perception of closeness (Sturgess, Dunn, & Davies, 2001). This definition matches that found on ‘Siblings in care: law and practice’ (NSPCC 2010) which writes, ’It should be noted that the term ‘sibling’ is not legally defined. It can include step-siblings, half-siblings, or unrelated children who have been brought up together.’ Regarding sibling relationships, the challenge is to better understand the nature of sibling relationships between children in foster or adoptive placement and the challenges and procedures involved in maintaining these relationships. Additionally, ‘Children define themselves by comparing themselves to important others; siblings play a critical role in this definition throughout lifespan’. (Groze 1996)

This chapter will explore the emotional wellbeing of a child in care in context with the impact that sibling separation has on looked after children. It is important to point out that most social work practice guidelines favour placing brothers and sisters together in the event that they are removed from the care of their parents (Hegar 1988; Smith 1996). Furthermore, the presumption of the 1989 Children Act is to place siblings together – so far as is reasonably practical and consistent with his welfare. However, sadly for children in foster care, there are a numerous reasons why siblings may not be placed together, which could include but are not limited to: large groups of siblings, sibling abuse, varying developmental needs, and time to enter the foster care system (Shlonsky, Bellamy, Elkins & Ashare, 2005; Smith, 1998; Whelan, 2003). This chapter will demonstrate that in recent years relationships among siblings in foster care have received an increasing amount of attention from the field of child welfare (Groza et al 2003). This can be illustrated briefly by the fact that ‘The studies involving an adult perspective leaves no doubt that the separation of siblings is not a minor issue and can inflict pain, sadness and feelings of injustice which may remain throughout life.’ (Mullender,1999). Alongside this some children who have been separated from their siblings may also mourn the loss of the caregiving position they had undertaken prior to the separation with their siblings (Harrison, 1999b;Ward, 1984).Issues concerning the separation of siblings in foster care have been a subject of research since the initial stages of the development of child welfare agencies (Hegar, 2005). Since the 1990s, there has been a slow growth in the number of publications on sibling ties and specifically on siblings in foster care (Hegar, 2005).

This chapter will closely explore the emotional effects of separating siblings and the importance of sibling relationships, it is crucial to understand that whilst sibling relationships can promote positive developmental outcomes and whilst a healthy positive sibling relationship ‘can provide a permanent unconditional relationship that is ascribed rather than an earned role – validate a child’s worth as a human being because the love he/she receives does not have to be earned – throughout lifetime’ (Cicirelli, 1995) as well as the fact that ‘Separation can involve great sadness and their grief aggravated by worry and guilt about siblings’ (Harrison, 1999) that in terms of sibling relationships that it is always not possible to keep siblings together and the best interests of each individual child must be taken into consideration. Foster youth describe the separation of siblings as “an extra punishment, a separate loss, and another pain that is not needed” (YLAT, 2002). However, Practitioners in social work have demonstrated consistently that putting siblings together is not always feasible and research should acknowledge the point at some stage. Following in the footsteps of Dance et al (2002), and as indicated previously ‘For some children, traumatic memories of past parental abuse can be surfaced by contact with siblings, causing the child additional trauma while in care (Bank, 1992). Furthermore, some siblings may reinforce behavioural problems in each other therefore risk of placement instability is increased (Howe et al., 2000). In summary, it has been shown from this chapter that whilst sibling relationships are psychologically powerful and critically important not only in childhood but in later adolescent life that further exploration of the emotional effects that separation has on child is necessary. Grounds for not placing siblings together include insufficient placement resources to support sibling placement, different timelines for permanence between siblings of different ages, differing needs of individual siblings, and organisational barriers (Shlonsky et al., 2005; Webster et al., 2005).In addition, it is important that professionals consider children’s experiences from a child’s perspective, so that they can appreciate the vital importance of maintaining sibling relations whenever possible.

The importance of sibling relationships

I will now move on to discuss the importance of sibling relationships, Children in foster care may live and grow links to children who may or may not have a biological relationship with them. The word ‘Fictive Kin’ has been used in child welfare to describe types of relationships in a child’s life where there is no legal or biological attachment but there is a deep, lasting connection (Casey Family Services, 2002). The category of fictive kin encompasses children raised together in a common home although not biologically or legally related (Shlonsky, Bellamy, Elkins, & Ashare, 2005). The term ‘Fictive Kin’ refers to an individual who is not related by birth, adoption, or marriage to a child, but who has an emotionally significant relationship with the child. Whilst it’s important to highlight that there are several types of relationships that could be described as siblings such as,

• Full or half-siblings, including any children who were relinquished or removed at birth
• Stepsiblings
• Adopted children in the same household, not biologically related
• Children born into the family and their foster/adopted siblings
• Foster children in the same family

(Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013 pg. 2, Bulletin for professionals)

However, for the purpose of this research I will be focusing on the separation of biologically related children and the impact that being separated may have on their emotional development. Rutter (1981) Iterates that the word separation is used to refer to the physical loss of a particular mother figure, but not necessarily the simultaneous loss of mothering, which may be supplied by another person, In contrast deprivation refers to the loss of maternal care, but not essentially to the loss of the person recognised as the child’s mother. This definition is like that found in (Bourguignon and Watson 1987) which writes that loss is the affectual state that an individual experience when something of significance is unexpectedly withdrawn.

Marjut Kosonen (1996) researched the emotional support and help provided by siblings and found that children would first try their mothers when they needed help, but then turn to older siblings for support, even before turning to their fathers. She also found that sibling support is particularly important for separated children as is the case for many children in foster care. The significance of sibling relationships differs according to individual circumstances of the child and depending on the stage of development in which they are at. It is worth noting that, sibling relations can be supportive or affected by rivalry (Sanders 2004). The role of sibling relationships has received little research study until recently, even though sibling relationships have the potential to contribute to primary importance in the context of placement and maltreatment (Shlonsky, Bellamy, Elkins, & Ashare, 2005). Over the last two decades, however, studies have taken a deeper look at sibling relationships and found that siblings in many ways are an integral part of children’s lives. (Bryant, 1985; Cicirelli, 1989; Thibodeau. 1988). In addition, Sibling interactions have been found to impact important aspects of the personality of children (Dunn, 1983). For example, in cultivating pro-social behaviour (Dunn & Munn, 1985). It is important to note that most children in the care system have siblings, whether full, half or step siblings. Hochman et al. (1992) recorded that 65% to 85% of young people entering foster care have at least one sibling, with about 30% have four or more siblings. In addition, current projections show that 75 per cent of sibling groups continue to live apart after entering foster care (Hochman et al.).Despite this Berridge & Cleaver (1987) found more success in foster placements where children were placed with some or all their siblings. However, in saying that one very critical aspect that presents a major challenge when it comes to behaving in the best interests of siblings in foster care is adequate knowledge of the significance of sibling relationships. Social workers also often feel inadequate when it comes to knowledge of sibling relationships (Beckett, 1999). Despite this for most people with siblings, their relationship is the longest that a person can encounter. Furthermore, experiences with siblings, such as sharing and comparison, allow children to develop a sense of identity and an early bonding opportunity (Banks & Kahn, 1997). Research indicates that early sibling ties can be highly valuable as an investment in later relationships (Kosonen, 1994), and that their common developmental and affective history positions siblings in a position where they can become confident (Howe, Aquan-Asee, Bukowski, Lehoux, & Rinaldi, 2001). In addition, sibling relationships can be strengthened when there are major parental problems and the home atmosphere is not harmonious (Sheehan et al., 2004). This definition is like that found in (Smith, 1996) which suggests that relationships between siblings can intensify when parents are emotionally unavailable or neglectful.

It is evident that sibling relationships are of great significance in a child’s life. Sibling relationships serve as a way for young people to maintain a sense of their past and a way of understanding themselves and their lives. (Banks & Kahn, 1997). Previous studies have shown, throughout a child’s lifespan, sibling relationships may be more influential than those with other people, including parents, partners, and children (Hochman et al., 1992).

Importance of maintaining contact

Although current and former foster children have for many decades identified their grief and longing for contact with missing siblings (Downes, 1992; Festinger, 1983; Maluccio, Krieger, & Pine, 1990), Researchers have struggled to develop a structured theoretical framework for researching children’s experiences in foster care. Furthermore, the fact that in some cases the child does not enter foster care at the same time as their siblings complicates the problem of sibling placement, and siblings may enter and leave foster care at different times. Moreover, siblings can be put together with all siblings, along with some siblings, or put separately even if some siblings are placed outside the family. When siblings are not placed together, the challenge is to help them maintain contact with one another (Smith, 1996). However, many siblings may be separated upon removal from the family home and have no regular contact while in foster care (Wojciak, McWey, & Helfrich, 2013). For some children in foster care their separation or irregular contact with their siblings can cause those relationships to fade away, perhaps to the point of permanent separation and estrangement. Although this may be true it is also important to remember that not all siblings can be put together, and this is depending on the circumstances of each case and should be assessed on an individual basis. Therefore, the appropriate amount of interaction will vary, some relationships between siblings are violent, aggressive and unhealthy. Siblings with emotional or behavioural issues can also have a detrimental effect on other group siblings, causing unwanted and unnecessary tension (Ryan, 2002; Herrick & Piccus, 2005). Thus, it is crucial that the attachment between siblings is a consideration in all decision-making and that it involves the best interests and well-being of all children and siblings in foster care (Herrick & Piccus, 2005). These results are like those reported by (Ward 1984, pg.322) who acknowledged that ‘The final decision should be based on the needs and wishes of the children rather than on the administrative expediency or difficulty in finding home’.

I know some people always complain about having an older sibling saying ‘Oh they are the worst!’, or ‘He/She is so dumb!’, or some don’t have one at all. Even though I sometimes hate having my sister, I always know she’s there for me. She is my superhero because she’s there for me in my hardest time, she is a great listener when I tell her I have a problem, and she thinks about me and my brother before she thinks about herself.

My first reason why she’s my superhero is that she is always there for me in my hardest times. Last year, when I was trying to find a sport that I liked, I had so much trouble and she would always support me and would always tell me that I would find something one day. Eventually, I found color guard, and she still supports me when I’m at guard. She can’t wait to see me perform if I make the high school guard, even though I’m very nervous about trying out. If I was having drama with my friends, she would always come and talk to me and she would ask “What’s going on” and I would tell her it and she would always know what to do. I know this might be a lot, but I really do love how she thinks about me and supports me in everything.

My second reason is that she is a great listener when I have a problem I’m dealing with. When I was younger, I would always tell my mom stuff, but then when I got older, I started coming to my sister for advice or when I had an awful day. She would always ask me what’s wrong and I would tell her (or just tell her to leave me alone) and she would always support me and talk to me. I’ve had moments when I was in a bad mood and didn’t want to talk to anyone and she would always come into my room (even if I told her to get out) and would talk to me and help me feel better about myself. I’m still thankful for her that she listens to me.

And my last reason why my sister is my superhero is that she thinks about others before herself. There were some moments she had to skip or quit dance class to make time for homework, friend drama, and family problems. I still think it is amazing how she does this. She has always stood up for other people if they were being aggressive. I always thought it was cool that she would always think of others and I really appreciate how she would do that.

To me, all of these qualities I think makes her a true superhero, and since she’s 18, she’s about to drop out of college and finish high school. She has always been supportive to me and now I want to be supportive with all of the choices she’s making right before she graduates. I always will know that when she’s off, getting married, and having a family, she’ll always be there for me.

ABSTRACT

The focus of this study involves the study of sibling relationship and its impact on individual behaviour. Sibling relationships are authentic and makes a huge difference and change in the behaviour and attitude of people. The main objective behind the research was to understand their bond and relationship among them. To know how they treat each other hand to know which sibling relationship combination (two brothers, two sisters, one brother and one sister, or a single child) they think are the best in a family.

INTRODUCTION

Each of two or more children having one or both parents in common are stated to siblings. Then they can in any term like two brothers, two sisters or a brother or a sister. Sibling relationships are authentic. As suggested by Voor postel and Vander Lippe (2007), sibling relationships can be one of the most long lasting and enduring relationships of an individual. Often siblings grow up in the same environment; they share the same parents and also share common memories and similar experience. At very initial stage of their life enduring their childhood they are guided and guarded by their parents and so most of the parents want nothing more than their children to get along and have a secure life.

As they spend too much time with each other throughout their childhood, it helps in the child’s development, it also benefits them in having healthy sibling relationship which then makes them first supportive friend to each other. The relationship or bond between siblings is different during different stages of their life (Different in childhood different among adults, different among teenage, etc).They might get too close to each other by sharing their private life, helping each other in solving the problems and motivating each other to do better. They might have clashes, disagreement or arguments with each other due to difference in opinion, perspective, standard of living of each other.

Their relationship also gets different when they have their partner, their own house, their children or sometimes due to transfer due to job. So let us see how an adult in todays world handles his/her sibling relationship. Siblings are a fixture in the family lives of children and adolescents, and a body of work documents their role in one another’s everyday experiences as companions, confidantes, combatants, and as the focus of social comparisons.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Cole, A. K., & Kearns, K. A. (2001) were of the opinion that the quantity of research on the quality of sibling relationships was inadequate. Therefore, it could be recommended that sibling relationships should be examined in terms of various age groups and different variables, and their psycho social consequences should be subject to research. Moreover, developmental results of sibling relationships could be examined through longitudinal studies. Studies on the relation between sibling relationships and family relationships under various parenthood styles could be recommended.

Widmer, E. D., & Weiss, C. C. (2000) identifies in the research that female students who were first in birth order had lower life satisfaction, less positive attitude toward sibling relationships, and higher levels of loneliness than female students who were second in birth order. As for male students, no significant difference was observed between them in terms of the effect of birth order on life satisfaction and attitude toward sibling relationships.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Following are the objectives of the study:

• To know the relationship between siblings from adult.
• To understand the impact of sibling relationship on an individual behaviour.
• To identify the behavioural change in individual due to sibling relationship.
• To suggest and conclude with the relationship and the bonding among siblings.

HYPOTHESES

1. There is a strong bond among siblings.
2. Parents treat siblings differently.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The research is descriptive and qualitative in nature. The researcher has used primary and secondary data where primary data includes questionnaire and secondary method includes books, websites and journals. A questionnaire consists of 12 questions covering demographics and views of individual to understand the bond among siblings. There were 60 respondents all together. The sampling method used was judgemental and percentage method is used analysis and interpretation of data. A percentage method and graphs are used to analysis and interpret the data.

SIBLING REALTIONSHIP

Sibling plays a vital role in everyone’s life. Sibling is the one on whom one can vouch upon and thus simulates a different bond altogether. Every individual has a unique relationship with their sibling. Some of them are very comfortable just like pals and some are not that close but still they have concern and connection with each other. Although, siblings grow up in the same environment, share the same parents, and share common memories and similar experiences but the behaviour and attitude may vary with each other. Today children have started staying in isolation because of increase in nuclear family.

Sibling relationships are an integral part of the family system. Parents may influence their children’s interpersonal relationships directly by giving them advice and intervening in their interactions and disputes or indirectly by modelling social behaviour of their children’s emotions and behaviours. With the advent of adulthood, relationships with the family undergo transformations. Emerging adults, at least in Western cultures, are expected to develop higher levels of individuation, displayed in the capacity to rely on oneself and to make independent decisions and follow through with them. Thus, a positive family atmosphere is likely to be related to warm sibling relationships, whereas a distressed atmosphere will probably be related to negative sibling relationships. In contrast, parental assertion of power was related to a higher frequency of conflict between siblings.

SUGGESTIONS

Based on the responses and one to one interactions that researcher had with respondents, following conclusion is framed in six different combinations:

1. Insecurity: When siblings are of same gender, there is always a comparison between two. This may lead to “insecurity” between the sisters. Two sisters may share their secrets with each other but somewhere they may also have the feeling of jealousy with each other. As they grow, insecurity may also lead to conflict.
2. Internal conflicts: It is considered to have a proud feeling for every parents to have sons but as and when they grow they start competing with each other. Therefore, they may have internal conflicts with each other. Most of boys are concerned about their family but they do not show. Hence, even there is a spark of conflict at the childhood stage, they may not solve it but it turns into “Internal Conflict”.
3. Mental obligation: When there is a combination of one brother and many sisters there is a feeling of mental obligation towards their family and especially towards sisters. Though today scenario is changed, girls can take their own responsibility but still a brother has to fulfil his responsibility towards his sister and family. The boy may be pampered by his parents but they cannot forget to fulfil their duties towards their daughter.
4. Protective: When there are more than 2 brothers and a single sister, brothers act protective towards their sister. There are chances that the girl can be pampered and therefore may not be given lot of freedom. Among brothers there can be understanding or internal conflicts depending upon the attitude and behaviours of boys.
5. Bonding: It is observed that there is a good bonding between brother and sister. They can understand each other well and discuss their secrets, consult each other at the time of taking important decisions. This mainly happens because there is no comparison between two separate genders. Hence, parents also prefer to have a combination of brother and sister.
6. Sharing: Although there is a good bonding between brother and sister but when the number is more they believe in sharing too. Around, 15 to 20 years ago every couple use to have 3 to 4 children and they had a habit of sharing their things like books, clothes etc. Alongwith, materialistic things sharing of secrets were very common.

Exceptions to the above outcomes

• It depends upon the age gap between siblings.
• The upbringing of parents and the way children are treated by their parents.
• The attitude, behaviour and maturity of an individual may vary.

SUGGESTIONS

• The first step to establish a healthy sibling relationship is to heal the past or to release the baggage from childhood. Although there could be some small fights during childhood but later it must get converted into memories.
• Have a discussion regarding the problems or difficult of day to day life. A transparency in the relationship plays an important role to build a healthy relationship and understanding among siblings.
• The habit of sharing and caring must be inculcated among siblings for each other from childhood itself.
• One must try and avoid controversial issues among siblings. It is easily possible when a older sibling shows the maturity to understand younger one and the younger one obeys or follows older one. Though it is not professional it is always a give and take in relationship.
• Appreciating each other’s performance and taking criticism positively will help them to have a long term relationship and perform well in their life.

CONCLUSION

As the respondents are adults and the age gap between them is maximum 4 years. Out of the total respondents the combination of one brother and one sister sibling relationship is higher as compare to other two combinations. The trend is changing as the families are getting converted into nuclear rather than joint. It is been observed through the study that 86% of the respondents stay with their siblings and 17% of the respondents are been treated like a friend by their siblings.

Through the sources it is been observed that siblings always protect them from parents and keep their secrets or private life safe. Some of the respondents staying away from their sibling do contact their siblings on daily basis. It is been revealed that 75% of the respondents fight a lot with their siblings and still they have a strong bond with their siblings. Around 70% of the respondents miss the presence if their siblings very much when their sibling (he/she) is not around. The study indicates that 65% of the respondents get the amount of respect they deserve from their siblings. In spite of having fight or disagreement adults still manages to stay together, respect each other, have a daily conversation and maintain their bond strongly.

REFERENCE

• Brody, G. H., & Murry, V. M. (2001). Sibling socialization of competence in rural, single-parent African American families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 63, 996-1008.
• Bouchey, H. A., Shoulberg, E. K., Jodl, K. M., & Eccles, J. S. (2010). Longitudinal links between older sibling features and younger siblings’ academic adjustment during early adolescence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102, 197–211.
• Cole, A. K., & Kearns, K. A. (2001). Perceptions of sibling qualities and activities of early adolescents. Journal of Early Adolescence, 21, 204-227.
• Criss, M. M., & Shaw, D. S. (2005). Sibling relationships as contexts for delinquency training in low-income families. Journal of Family Psychology, 19, 592–600
• Widmer, E. D., & Weiss, C. C. (2000). Do older siblings make a difference? The effects of older sibling support and older sibling adjustment on the adjustment of socially disadvantaged adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 10, 1-27.
• https://www.ucy.ac.cy/nursery/documents/Sibling_Relation.pdf
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0743558404271133

Most people would want a bigger family. That also means that you’ll have to have a bigger space to fit everyone. In urban areas, space is a big issue and most families would have to fit themselves in a small apartment or condominium. If you are affluent enough, you might want to buy a big house and give each member of the family a space to have privacy. Either way, a room can be a special place for one, and this could be true for most children as well.

However, some parents choose to have their kids share space instead of giving each one a room of their own. Although there is still some opinions on this one, some parents would choose to make their kids sleep in the same room instead of being in separate ones.

According to the Romper page, there are some things that kids would have liked when they shared rooms with their siblings. Others would also have some bad experiences with it. Perhaps one sibling would like a dark room when sleeping while the other wants a bit of light to be able to doze off. Sharing a space may not be easy for an introverted child, especially if the other sibling is a bit on the active side.

Good and bad, there will always be effects on your kids when they share rooms. However, there are actually benefits to sharing a room than not doing so. Aside from not worrying about the living space, your kids could actually get some benefits when they share their room with a brother or a sister.

Advantages to Room Sharing

In an article on the Education Magazine page, some parents choose to have their children share bedrooms for the bonding experience they will have while they are growing up. This can somehow force the interaction between siblings and also, teach them to compromise and put up with all the things that most brothers or sisters do. If there are some privacy issues to be settled, they can do it on their own while at the comforts of their room.

It sometimes happens that siblings aren’t close to each other. However, most children who shared their rooms are a tad closer than others due to the fact that they had more discussions or even bonding moments with their siblings. You can expect kids to be more generous, giving, and patient when it comes to their sibling or other children for that matter, according to the Room to Grow UK page. You will also expect them to develop better collaboration with their brothers or sisters, or even with other kids at school. This could help them in later life when they start having their own jobs or dealing with other people within society.

Children with some mental health issues can improve or even heal better when they are with someone in their room. This could actually be better for them than being on their own. According to James Crist, a clinical psychologist and co-author of the book, “Sibling: You’re Stuck With Each Other, So Stick Together,” children who have anxiety issues can feel more relaxed when a family member stays in the room. This can also make your children sensitive to the needs of others since they know that they do not fully own their space. This can build a good character foundation for your child and may even have good effects when they start working in the real world.

Disadvantages

Though there can be some benefits to your kids sharing bedrooms, there can also some disadvantages to it. You’ll have to expect some conflicts, whether petty or major to happen. Issues could be from using a particular corner of the room to missing items. As parents, you should be able to accept that your children will have unique characteristics, and they will be different from each other, even if they are twins. In some other cases, there could be some physical issues like not being of the same gender or more serious ones like sexual abuse from another sibling. Some children with disabilities can actually affect those inside the room, and this kind of case should be given more priority.

Also, if your children are already in their teens, it would be wise for you to let them have their own rooms. Teenagers tend to need a degree of privacy and personal space. So if you are planning to avoid conflicts among your kids and you as parents, then it would be advisable to let them have their own rooms in their teen years.

No matter what you choose, as parents, you will be mostly in control of the situation at home. If your children are sharing rooms, try to establish boundaries though do not push them that much to do so since they would have to compromise on the space. Also, stay neutral when it comes to disagreements. This would allow them to settle their disputes by themselves and come up with a way to agree on things. They should be able to know that they must take care of their relationships, according to Alyson Schafer, a psychotherapist and parenting expert.

In the end, if space is the issue, you might just want to let your children sleep in one bedroom, at least, for the meantime.

Many sibling relationships that are displayed on T.V. or in real life show that siblings share special bonds. Although, siblings may be different, the old memories and experiences (good and bad) that they share for a lifetime. As a result, relationships between siblings are complicated which causes them to be tough, sometimes dangerous and, at times they can even be rewarding.

Sometimes, having someone that a person is compared to or something with can be tough. Many times, younger siblings academic performances are compared to their older siblings academic performances. This could lead to extra stress on the younger sibling to be more superior. Also, older siblings who have newborn sibling may find it difficult to grab their parents attention. This could lead to the child lashing out for notice.

As a result of sibling relationships being tough, they can lead to fights that can be fatal. If tensions at school are high then, children at home may be tensed. If their siblings are aggravating their sibling, they might sue violence or foul language to get them to discontinue what they were doing. As children progress and grow they also may suffer from mood swing which may alter the way they view their siblings and may refrain from spreading leisure time with them. This may lead to the younger sibling lashing out.

In the end, regardless of what happens, being a sibling can be rewarding at times. Sometimes, siblings bond with each other over the weirdest experiences. This can fabricate a friendship that could have the strongest bond. In fact, many children that grow up without a sibling are more likely to be lonely and dependent on their parents, therefore, they may not be able to make as many friends as a child with a sibling would. Having a sibling teaches many rewarding values like; responsibility when taking care of each other, compassion towards each other and, patience when waiting for their parent’s attention. And, in certain cases, if one gets into trouble they can throw their sibling under the bus!

In conclusion, sibling relationships may be a lot and unfair for some people to handle, sometimes there could even be more negativity than positivity around relationships with siblings. Nonetheless, its this insignificant little experiences with siblings that help to fabricate strong relations that make them so complex