Notes

Hello everyone. All of us here have siblings and you probably do too as 82% of children have one or more siblings. Most children without siblings might wish they had a sibling to share memories with and talk to about family issues but children with siblings tend to think that having a sibling is annoying and chaotic and they would rather be an only child. Today we are going to be discussing the difference in sibling relationships with age gaps big and small.

My sister was one year older than me and I feel as though that is one of the main reasons we were so close. having a one year age gap meant that we were doing the same trends at the same time for example the floss and making slime and playing with fidget spinners. My sister was always there for me and I was there for her. We could rely on each other in ways you couldn't with a friend. We would do everything together. We used to go to the park together, walk to school together and play dolls together. Me and my brother have a 7 year age gap and we are not as close, you could blame that on the fact that we are different genders or generations but I know the real reason why. Last year on the 23rd April my sister caught covid 19 and was doing well considering she had a weak immune sytem. She didn't have any of the symptoms and all seemed perfectly fine so she decided not to go to the hospital. This was the worst decision she could have made because later that week she died. My family hasn't been the same since and me and my brother have never been further apart. I miss my sister every day but there's nothing I can do now.

Would it be different if the age gap was bigger? My sister is 7 years older than me and our relationship is extremely distant. I don't trust my sister with anything about my life. We might have the same mum but we will never have the same dna. We have completely different goals and mindsets. Growing up my sister wouldn't talk to me a lot and when she did talk to me she was teasing me and being rude. I understand that she was older and busier and had important things to do but I would have made time for my little sister so why couldn't she? The author of 'sibling rivalry: Helpful or harmful' states that sibling bullying can 'help to push children to do and be better. But too much squabbling and competition can also be hurtful, and can have lasting effects on how children view themselves and their family relationships.' A survey of 2000 adults in the UK shows that just over half (51℅) feel they're still in competition with their siblings. Whether it's who gets to host the family get together or who gets the better career these siblings feel that there are constantly competing. This is normal. So if you can't wait for your sibling rivalry to stop, sorry, but it might never.

So today we have heard two story's about big and small age gaps but what if you have no siblings? Lots of people think that most only chilren are very used to having their way and fall apart when they’re told no and are hard to be around. They are not independent at all. They expect people to take care of them just like their parents always did. And, if I'm being honest, this can be true but it can also be a myth. Parents with only children think that they can relate to their first cousins or their friends. A person ( who wishes to remain anonymous) explained to us that growing up she did have friends who all had siblings. She didn't get many playdates because her friends families all had their own schedules to stick too. During the school breaks she would feel lonley, isolated and sad. Thank you for listening!