Having a brother or sister is super important for kids! Researchers like Susan McHale and Shawn Whiteman say siblings play a huge role in how we grow up. In the U.S., 8 out of 10 kids have a sibling, even more than those living with a dad! But, surprisingly, we don't talk about sibling relationships much.
Professor McHale from Penn State says something cool: kids spend the most time with their siblings, more than with parents or friends. Your brother or sister might end up being the person you spend the most years with your whole life!
Professor Whiteman from Utah State talks about the good and not-so-good stuff. Siblings can help each other and learn together, but they might also compete for attention and share some risky behaviors. Siblings shape how we behave and feel, from when we're little to when we're all grown up. So, having a great relationship with your brother or sister is a big deal!
- Fighting with Siblings in Teenage Years: If you had a lot of fights with your siblings during your teenage years, it might make you more clever but less understanding of others.
- Feeling Loved by Parents: If your parents made you feel loved and supported, that's great for your personality. It means you're more likely to understand and care about others.
- Parental Behavior: siblings Being strict or negligent
- If your parents were too strict or didn't show enough care, it might not be great for your personality. It's linked to struggling to understand and connect with others.
- Sibling Relationships in Adulthood: How well you get along with your siblings when you're grown up still matters. It's linked to traits like being unkind (primary psychopathy) and having unstable emotions (borderline traits).
- Parental Behavior: Influencing Self-Centeredness and Emotional Issues If your parents played favorites or were too strict, it's connected to certain traits when you're an adult. Being a favorite is linked to being more focused on yourself (narcissism). Strict or neglectful parenting is linked to emotional issues, like unstable emotions (borderline traits) and being very focused on yourself (vulnerable narcissism).
- If you fought a lot with siblings, you might become clever but less understanding.
- Feeling loved by your parents is good for your personality, but if they are too strict, you might struggle to connect with others.
- How you get along with siblings as an adult still matters for your personality.
- If your parents played favorites or were strict, it could affect whether you focus on yourself a lot or face emotional challenges as an adult.
