Siblings are often the only people with whom we have lifelong relationships. For many people that means a built-in best friend for life. But deep, lifetime connections like that can be messy at times, even in the strongest of bonds.
Navigating those relationships is difficult in a different way than navigating your friendship with, say, your best friend from college. Ninety percent of people in Western families grow up in households with at least one biological, half, step or adoptive sibling, but for many of those people an agreeable relationship between siblings isn’t always a given; it takes work. In a study of 6,630 Dutch adults, European researchers found that people who experienced serious negative life events in the past — divorce, addiction issues, run-ins with the law or financial problems — often had less supportive and more strained sibling ties.
The quality of sibling relationships is one of the most important predictors of mental health in old age, according to The American Journal of Psychiatry. Research shows that people who are emotionally close to their siblings have higher life satisfaction and lower rates of depression later in life. In times of stress or trauma, siblings can provide essential emotional and monetary support.
1. What do you and your siblings bond over? Do you share your goals, ambitions and dreams for the future? Do you have similar interests, hobbies and beliefs? If so, what are they?
2. What do they do that gets on your nerves? What do you argue about? If so, how do you address these issues and feelings?
3. Would you say that you and your siblings are friends? Do you spend time together, support each other and share secrets? Why or why not?