Siblings determine development more than we realize.

A United Press International (UPI) report on a new study that highlights how influential siblings are in a shaping a child’s growth into a well-adjusted adult. US researchers say, parental influence on a child’s development has always been vital. But apparently, brothers or sisters can make or break us as well.

Laurie Kramer, a professor of applied family studies at the University of Illinois said parents are better at teaching the social niceties of more formal settings — such as how to act in public, how not to embarrass oneself at the dinner table, etc. However, siblings are better role models of the more informal behaviors such as how to act at school or on the street or, perhaps most important, how to act cool around friends. To some extent this can be even more important than mastering the formal niceties.

“Siblings are closer to the social environments that children find themselves in during the majority of their day, which is why it’s important not to overlook the contributions that they make on who we end up being,” Kramer says in a statement. “We know that having a positive relationship with siblings is related to a whole host of better outcomes for teenagers and adults.”

The researchers add that the same holds true for other behaviors as well. There is great value in older children setting good examples. For example, a female teen is at higher risk for getting pregnant if her older sister was a teenage mother. 

Kramer and Katherine J. Conger of the University of California at Davis co-edited a volume on siblings for a recent issue of the journal New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development. So yes, an older sibling does set the tone for the younger ones too!

As parents we can play an active role in fostering good sibling relationships. The sooner we start, the better. Even if your kids are still at the toddler and baby stage! In a previous post on sibling rivalry, we had already given strategies to handle the typical brother and sister issues that crop up among young kids. Conflicts between brothers and sisters are inevitable, but these should provide positive learning experiences for your kids. Letting them sort it out is great practice for dealing with everyone else outside the home.

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