Those of us with sisters or brothers know that our siblings are a big part of our life. We can have super relationships, that result in daily phone calls and frequent visits even if you are thousands of miles apart. They can also cause us grief, choosing to never speak to a sibling because of events or actions that happened in our life. Regardless, if you have a sibling they will have some sort of effect on you.
Delia Lloyd shared Five Facts About Siblings with her readers. These are results of surveys and research, so I can hardly agree with calling them facts. I agree with them, for the most part. Of course I still haven’t figured out which of us (my two sisters or me) were my mom’s favorite, so I’m not quite sure how to feel about number 4.
1. Close sibling relationships are good for your health. At least, so says a Harvard University study showing that being close to one’s siblings at college age was a crucial determinant of emotional well-being at 65. According to relationship researcher Mark Morman of Baylor University, siblings who maintain close relationships in adulthood are less at risk for depression and they maintain lower heart rates as well.
2. But only one third of siblings remain close into adulthood. According to scholars in Europe, another third remain relatively close. And while few adult siblings sever ties completely, about 33 percent drift apart entirely, sometimes describing their relationship as distant or rivalrous.
3. Despite sharing similar genes, sibling personalities often differ. This is perhaps not all that surprising, given that in an environment of limited resources (read: parental attention and affection), you would expect siblings to differentiate themselves in order to get noticed. Still, siblings who share the same gene pool do tend to resemble one another markedly both physically and intellectually. And yet, their personalities diverge 80% of the time.
4. The effects of maternal favoritism persist into adulthood. Children of mothers who favor or reject one child are also more likely to suffer depressive symptoms as middle-aged adults.
5. Being an only child has some real benefits. New research suggests that only children tend to exceed other kids in terms of academic accomplishments, sophistication, vocabulary, and even social skills.
Do you think these sibling facts are correct? Do you have a good relationship with your siblings? Are you an only child?
