Hi Y'all,
Today's post is all about sibling relationships!
I've always been super lucky and my brother and I have always had a good relationship. When I joined a sorority, I instantly gained 140+ new sisters, overnight.
I like to classify sibling relationships in three different groups:
1. Peaceful. The peaceful sibling relationship is where the siblings don't really fight (the occasional argument is normal). Will willingly talk to each other openly. Value the other siblings.
2. Separate. This relationship is where one sibling pretends the other siblings don't exist.
3. Fighting. These are the siblings that are constantly picking, bickering, etc. at each other.
I'm lucky enough to have a peaceful relationship with my brother. However, many of my friends growing up had the "separate" and "fighting" relationships with their siblings.
I personally believe there are benefits to having a sibling:
1. You automatically learn how to share. Not only do you share your parents, but you also will often share toys, friends, family members' attention.
2. You learn to compete. Often times, many kids feel their parents are always forcing their kids to compete. Lines like "your sister did better" or "your brother got an A on his test, why didn't you?" might get used frequently. It's fine that you learn to compete in a healthy environment and in a healthy manner. I was always the "better behaved child" but my brother had far more energy than I ever did (or could ever hope to have). Don't worry, he's calmed down in his old age (of 24).
3. You get money and time saving hand-me-downs. For instance, I didn't have to buy new textbooks for the college classes I took in high school because my brother already had them. I also saved a ton of time with teachers because they often met me before having me in their classes because my brother was older.
Not every sibling relationship is peaceful, and it won't be all of the time, and that's ok!
Lindsey
