Growing up with siblings might have taught parents a few things when they started to raise their own. However, parents sometimes still cannot understand their kids and the kind of relationship that they have with their siblings.
Siblings spend so much time with each other; around one-third of a child's free time is spent with their siblings. So it is inevitable that their relationships affect each other at some point.
It must also be noted that not all sibling relationships are the same.
Studies show that there are few intriguing facts about brothers and sisters. Here are six interesting facts about sibling relationships. Some of these might have been known to parents as they observe their children.
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Fact #1: Siblings influence each other's outlooks and behavior.
A study has shown that siblings play a significant role in the decisions that someone makes. Specifically, the study has proven this in matters like smoking, drinking, or substance abuse.
It has also been proven in a study that sibling relationships have a long-term effect on an individual's mental health.
Fact #2: Siblings resemble each other's looks and intelligence, but never the personality.
Genetics could explain how siblings sometimes share the same facial features and how they have the same kind or level of intelligence. However, even if siblings have the same parents, they tend to have different personalities.
According to a study, siblings are only similar in terms of personality, twenty percent of the time. The study proposed different theories behind this: divergence, environment, and exaggeration.
Fact #3: Half of all siblings share the same level of educational and economic success.
Some of those siblings who are deemed to be successful and rich in their respective fields are the Williams sisters, the Bush brothers or Julianne and Derek Hough. Although their stories might be inspiring, it is not always the case. Some studies have proven that one sibling may have greater success than the others.
Fact #4: Sibling relationships become stronger when there is parental conflict.
Because parents are the people with whom children depend so much on, a conflict between them can cause children to look for support. Generally, children find support among their siblings. Because of this, they become close to each other.
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Fact #5: Sibling conflicts arise when a property is involved.
This fact is something that parents should never ignore. Parents should intervene by explaining the concept of sharing when siblings argue because of an issue with ownership of toys or other stuff. At an early stage, children establish control and authority through a property.
When siblings grow older, they still go through conflicts because of properties, but this time in a bigger sense.
Fact #6: Siblings help in interpersonal skills.
The kind of interaction kids have among siblings teaches them how to interact with others outside the family. For example, conflict resolution in the house or while playing with siblings can be the experience that taught someone how to resolve issues.
