Brothers & Sisters

In a house with more than one child, there are bound to be some problems with the kids getting along. Brothers and sisters borrow stuff, and don't always return it. Younger kids sometimes feel like the older ones get to do whatever they want. Older brothers and sisters think that the baby of the family gets more attention.

Arguments can happen a lot in a family and while small fights between sisters and brothers are normal, they can often make things tense and unhappy at home. You might find taking a few moments to breath deeply and calm down helps to stop a fight before it even starts.

Bickering with your siblings can be normal but if the fights get physical it can be very harmful to you and your brothers or sisters. Not only getting physically hurt, but also you or your siblings may feel anxiety, anger and depression if it happens on a regular basis. If a sibling is physically hurting you, you have the right to tell your parents or a trusted adult. Siblings can also hurt us emotionally, by making fun of us, name-calling or teasing. It may sound like a joke but often this can be very upsetting and sometimes children can never get over these things. The important thing to remember is that no one has a right to hurt you in any way – so even if its your sibling, you still have a right to make it stop and have a happy life at home.