Sibling Rivalry
Yesterday my son remarked that he hated his sister. 
He’s all of three years old. My first reaction was to wonder where he heard that phrase. But I think he’s heading into the prime sibling rivalry years. He and his sister are 26 months apart, and now that she’s getting old enough to play with his toys, he’s had his fill of it. When she doesn’t get her way, she lets out a piercing scream.
But then, there are moments like last night when they were giggling and chasing each other around upstairs. Or the time when they each grabbed their respective blankets and snuggled into her bed and he pretended to read her a story. I think it’s very much a love-hate relationship. He adores having a sister, but not when she disrupts his things. She worships him as a role model but gets frustrated when she can’t keep up.
It’s fascinating to me, to watch them. My own relationship with my brother was very different. He had physical disabilities and my role was that of protector. It will be interesting to see how my children change and grow. I have a feeling they’ll be very close.
How about you? Were you close to your siblings when you were growing up?
Michelle posted in Writing @ 7:08 am | Viewed 1283 times
Le Ellis Says:
I wasn’t close with my siblings. My sister and I were like night and day. My brother was much older. But I’m close with my sister now. It was always important for my kids to be close. They’re 15 mos apart. But age doesn’t really mean they’ll be close. But they are! Once they learn to share, it’s easier.
Mary Says:
My sister and I never got along. She’s older and always tried to dominate me. Ugh.
Kelly Says:
My brother and I are 12 months and 3 days apart. He’s the older and we grew up more like twins. It used to fascinate my mother the way we would communicate without speaking, or the way we would look out for each other. It’s very much like that still today. My sister however was 5 1/2 years younger than me and when my Mom was on the way to the hospital my words to her was ‘if its not a boy, don’t bring it home’. They were wondering if they could fool me for a little while if they dressed her in blue.
Fast forward a few years later, she aggravated the hell out of me because we were soooo different. I was the quiet brainy one, she came out of the womb a full fledged diva. Still, I felt really protective of her even though I resented having to always look after her when my mother went back to work.
By the time she reached 13, we were best friends and the three of us still are to this day. :whip::wink::ick:
Stacy Says:
The love/hate relationship is a good way to describe it. We were close as kids, jealous of each other in highschool, then became the best of friends by the time we were adults.
Peggy Says:
Came from a large family with many different personalities. I got along with my brother best who was 16 months older than me. He went through some very personal issues a few years after he married. He divorced her and decided to end his ties with family as well. Haven’t spoken to him in years.
Gina Black Says:
I think from the beginning I thought my brother (who is four-and-a-half years younger) was an interloper. We didn’t really start to get along well until our mother died about ten years ago.
My kids who are seven years apart adore each other and always have. Now she’s twenty-three and he’s sixteen and she spends many weekends at her place. They really look to each other for love and support and I’m thrilled by it. For one thing, she acts as an advisor about his school decisions which is great because she did well and is so much closer to the experience. It helps that their interests are simlar.
Tori Says:
Geez. I must the only, um, only child here. So none of that nasty sibling rivalry for me.
Missie Says:
My brothers are 12 and 10 years older than me, so it was like being an only child growing up. We are all soooo different, night and day doesn’t adequately describe it. We are closer now than before, but sadly, I don’t know if I would be friends with them if I met them out in the world.
My son and daughter are 9.5 years apart, and he really looks out for her. He does love her, but is tired of her crying, pooping, peeing, drooling, etc. He can’t wait for her to get old enough to play with. He does get a big kick when she smiles at something goofy he does. I am hoping they will be closer than my siblings and I.
Just put this here because I would like to drown in a cup of coffee about now. :coffee2:
Missie Says:
Oh, and looooove the picture of your kids. Your little boy looks so cute and sweet. He looks like he’s thinking, “Me? My mom said I can be onery? No way. I am much to adorable. It’s my sister. Blame her.”:lol:
Bonnie Ferguson Says:
My sister and I were very close growing up and still are:dance:
Suzanne Says:
Your kids are SO CUTE!
Gina Says:
I was the baby of the family, and the next youngest was 18 already when I came into the picture, so all my siblings were out of the house. Made me almost an only child.
Steph T. Says:
Only child here - I got all the toys and I liked it that way
Your kids are adorable!
Amy K. Says:
I’m an only child. My husband’s an only child. Sibling dynamics have been a fascinating, frustrating thing for us to experience through our kids.
Love the tie on the little man!!
Rene Says:
Another only child here. And I loved it. However, this whole concept of sibling rivalry is tough for me to deal with. My kids are very close, but they bicker all the time. It is always over stupid stuff too. I just want to scream “what is wrong with you people?” This summer it got so bad I told them I didn’t want to hear about it unless there was blood. That got modified to A LOT of blood. My son and daughter are almost 4 years apart. The two girls are 3 years 3 days apart.
Leslie Says:
I wasn’t close with my siblings when we were younger because there are too many years between us. But I have a set of twins (boy/girl) who are six and they are amazing to watch. They love/hate each other every moment of the day. They are each other’s best friends and get on each other’s nerves the most. Throw a 13 year old into the mix and it makes for interesting times at our house!
Melissa Says:
I was the middle child and had an older brother and younger brother. Being the only girl was hard in some ways, but in others, I really learned how to get along with guys. We were pretty close and still are, to this day. I think growing up with two brothers is why I always seem to have more male friends than female!
And yes, your children are adorable!!!
Christine Keach Says:
My brother and I are 6 years apart. What you described for your kids, the love-hate thing, is how we were as little kids. As teens and in our twenties, we grew apart I think. We grew closer when our dad got sick and then died, and now I think we’re closer than ever.