Sibling Relationships: Lessons in Communication & Growth

Siblings are your first friends, confidants, and partners in crime. They are a fundamental part of most children's social worlds. With change in every generation, we witness that sibling relationships have also evolved with time and people. Earlier during our grandparents' generation the relationship between the elder sibling and younger one was more like that of parent and child but with time we witness that the relationship between the elder and younger one has turned to be more friendly and comfortable. However like any other human relationship sibling relationships also often experience ups and downs over a period of time. Each and every relationship that we are born with plays a significant role in shaping our personality so let us look into sibling’s teaching for life.

What Sibling Relationship can Teach Us?

1. Effective Communication: Sibling Relationships provide us a unique setup through which we unconsciously learn communication skills. Since they hold the same position as that of you in the family and have been with you since your birth hence it becomes easier to convey our thoughts and feelings with them which help us with better communication to use with co-workers, acquaintances and partners.

2. Empathy: From Laughing over silly jokes to fighting over the toys you experience it all with your sibling. They are the ones who bring out the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation.

3. Sense of Identity: Sometimes in a fast-paced life and a lot of changes happening around one tends to get lost in the hustle and bustle. In such a situation siblings play the role of an anchor which tends to help you in knowing the real you and establishing a relationship with yourself. They help you in developing your interests and hobbies.

4. Conflict Resolution & Forgiveness: Siblings born in the same family and in the same environment have distinctive personalities and often these personalities are opposites which creates conflict between them. These conflicts, fights, and disagreements sometimes take a serious turn which may hurt each other's feelings but the sibling relationship is so unique that with time gradually you tend to learn how to resolve the conflict and forgive each other.

5. Compromise & Collaboration: At some point in our lives, we've all had to strike a deal with our siblings to achieve a mutual goal. The art of compromise and teamwork are like secret ingredients for success, whether it's in our personal lives or our careers. These skills teach us how to express ourselves, truly hear others, and discover common ground. When we learn to give a little, we also learn to understand and appreciate others' perspectives. It's only by teaming up with others that we can truly conquer our ambitions. Embracing compromise and collaboration paves the way for lasting satisfaction and success.

How to build a strong Sibling Relationship?

As we all grow our relationship goes through a major shift. We all get so busy working on our careers and social lives that we end up disconnecting from our siblings over time because relationships are like plants. You need to regularly water them to keep them alive so there are certain things that we can do to maintain close relationships with our siblings.

• Connect with them on phone calls or video calls as regularly as possible

• Try to know their daily routine and be a part of that

• Emphasize meeting in person with each other as frequently as possible

• Plan a vacation together

• Joining a fitness program or trying out adventurous activities together can add a thrilling twist to your bond.

• Make a social media post featuring a favorite memory with your sibling.

• And don't forget to reminisce about all the amazing times you've shared. Keep the excitement alive!

What to avoid for healthy sibling relationship

No matter how much we love our siblings, the fact is that they are not the chosen family but the given one. So all things considered the foundation of a stronger sibling bond starts from childhood in which parents and family have a very important role to play. According to various Research done on Sibling Relationships, it is found that one thing that parents can surely avoid is favoring one child over the other.

This phenomenon is referred to as “Differential Parental Treatment”. Children are keen observers so when they closely observe that you are the favored child then eventually they tend to develop jealousy with their sibling. The next Thing Parents can avoid is comparing siblings with each other. They should understand that no matter how similar upbringing you give to all your children, each child has some peculiar traits in their personality which set them apart from the other and that is fine.

Competition often brings birth to “Sibling Rivalry” which shakes the bond between the siblings. And hard as it may be, they should try not to take sides when siblings argue. Parents do sometimes need to treat kids differently. “But it has to be fair. Justice is very important for children,” said Shawn Whiteman, PhD, a professor of human development and family studies at Utah State University.

Conclusion

In the end, no matter how many changes a sibling relationship undergoes in their lifetime be it Affection & Warmth or Conflict & Rivalry still they play an important role in shaping our lives for the better. They are the unsung heroes of our lives. So we all should take some time off from our busy schedule and either through phone call or in person tell them how much you love them and how much you cherish their lifetime bond.

Tags: #SiblingsBond #RelationshipBlog #Family #SiblingsLove #brotherandsister #FamilyMatters

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