Should I Hate My Sibling?

Written by Alyssa Sirichoktanasup

Siblings, to me, are a wonderful phenomenon. Having a sibling means a constant companion, a close friend at all times. Growing up is a long, difficult process, and how else to lessen that pain than to have someone else experience it with you?

But, it is rare, almost impossible, that siblings always get along. I can say this from experience; I have squabbled with my brother over so many useless topics that I often wonder how I have not died of a sudden outburst of rage. We argue, admittedly, a lot.

Sometimes, amidst arguments like these, we begin to wonder if our siblings are doing more harm than help. We begin to see our siblings as a nuisance rather than a gift, and make them the focal point of our resentment and blame.

I want to take the time today to remind us that siblings, though occasionally annoying, help us in many ways. A study by the University of Dallas found that children with younger sisters saw a correlation with increased social skills. Another study found that having multiple siblings achieved the same result. And an article by the Washington Post found that siblings can serve as a blank canvas for feedback on behavior, leading to stronger etiquette and perspective taking.

So the next time you want to (as we all sometimes do) lash out at your sibling for any number of things, remind yourself of this. Siblings are, in essence, a gift to one another.