Your Brothers and Sisters May Have Made You a Better Person
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iStock/Thinkstock(PROVO, Utah) — Siblings often fight like cats and dogs but they also may be helping each other in ways they never imagined.
In a study, co-author Laura Padilla-Walker of Brigham Young University’s Department of Family Life found that having a sibling teaches children to be more compassionate and generous as they age.
Padilla-Walker says this is particularly true of boys even if these positive qualities are considered more feminine.
To arrive at these conclusions, 308 pairs of teenage siblings were studied, regarding their personal development and the kinds of relationships they had with both family members and friends.
What the researchers determined is that siblings value their relationships with their brothers and sisters and even though they’ll fight from time to time, they often walk away from conflicts sensitive to the other person’s feelings.
Another positive that comes from a larger family, according to Padilla-Walker, is that there’s more of a feeling of community and sharing.
On the other hand, youngsters who grow up as an only child can be at a disadvantage if there’s no need to sacrifice or compromise.
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