About 80% of Americans today have at least one sibling. Having a sister or brother is a blessing, and the bond formed by siblings who grow up together is unsurpassed by any other. Although they frequently fight or cause trouble for each other, there are boundless benefits in having siblings, including the five below.
Boost your happiness
Siblings are a joy to have in life from start to finish. As children, siblings can be another playmate or someone to keep you company. As you grow older, siblings keep up this support. Having a healthy, conflict-free relationship with an adult sibling significantly reduces your chances of depression or anxiety. A sibling can help their sister or brother navigate through traumatizing events in life, and offer emotional support when no one else is there because of the strong bond that was formed in infancy.
Pass on empathy
In growing up together, siblings also learn a lot from each other. One of the biggest things that siblings pass on to each other, regardless of age, is empathy. When one sibling, no matter if they are older or younger than the other, demonstrates empathy in any way, the other follows suit. Empathy exhibited by a sibling during childhood can shape the way that someone shows empathy for their entire lifetime.
Social skills
Siblings also pass on social skills to each other. In talking to and learning from siblings at home, children can apply these skills at school or in the outside world. When siblings talk, play, and fight, it all helps prepare them for interacting with others in a similar way.
Be your teacher
Siblings can also help improve your grades in school. Older siblings are frequently assigned the task of tutoring or helping out younger siblings who are learning content that they had previously learned in school. Siblings can work together on homework or practice worksheets, which not only helps them learn in school, but also gives an opportunity to work alongside each other, and learn and grow together.
Teach you how to overcome challenges
It is a universal truth that when there are multiple children in the same household, arguments and fights are inevitable. Although quarrels are bothersome and parents’ pleas to get along are frequently ignored, arguments amongst siblings can actually help with children’s development. In arguing with your siblings, you can actually learn important skills such as compromising, standing up for yourself, patience, and conflict resolution. Children have to learn how to share food or toys without fighting, and also learn to not let themselves get pushed around. All fights eventually come to an end, so children also learn patience and conflict resolution. As siblings fight over a conflict, they also have to learn how to resolve a conflict, forcing them to adapt and mature into better people.
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