Sibling Rivalries (or Rewards?)

Post by Mary Ann Earp, Business Operations Director at Kidspace Children's Museum

Relationships with siblings have a significant impact in shaping who we are. Eighty percent of Americans have at least one sibling. Sadly, in today’s society, kids are more likely to grow up with one or more sibling than with a father.

Sibling relationships are typically the longest relationship most people have in their lives. Studies have found that when kids have good relationships with siblings, they are more likely to develop good relationships with peers. Below are just a few of the many ways that siblings shape us:

• They may buffer stress. Warm sibling relationships can be protective and seem to buffer kids against stressful events, like parents' separation.

• They provide good practice. Research has clocked the rate of sibling squabbles at anywhere between 6 to 10 disputes per hour for certain childhood age groups. While these conflicts can be a headache for parents, they can help kids make developmental strides in a "safe relationship" and provide good training for interacting with peers. That safety enables siblings to practice behaving in ways they aren't able to with other people. Sibling spats help kids learn what they think is right; to negotiate and compromise; and to tolerate the negative emotions that crop up in life.

• They may help raise our vulnerability to mental-health issues. Sibling strife during mid-childhood is a predictor of increased anxiety, depression, and delinquent behavior in adolescence.

For more information on the benefits of siblings, click here.