From Nextavenue.org
Our son told us about a conversation he had with his now-wife shortly after they first met. The topic: childhood misbehavior and its consequences.
He said that when squabbles with his younger sister (typically over chore duties or toy sharing) escalated, one or both kids ended up sitting on the stairs for a few minutes in a “time out” — the punishment of choice in the ’90s.
Our daughter-in-law couldn’t recall any specific punishments as a child. That’s not surprising. Our son pointed out that virtually every time he got into trouble as a kid his beloved sister was a factor. Our daughter-in-law is an only child.
Our son and daughter are incredibly close today, childhood competition and arguments aside. They live 800 miles apart but talk several times a week. It’s a relationship I hope that they continue long after their father and I are gone.
That’s the ideal scenario. But a 2021 study conducted by One Poll for NOW tells a different story. It polled 2,000 adults about their sibling dynamics and found that more than 50% of adult siblings still argue and feel competitive with one another.
Read on to learn more about sibling rivalry that’s lingered into adulthood and how to begin mending those broken relationships. This story appeared in Next Avenue.
