The love-hate relationship among siblings is something that might be considered a universal phenomenon. A sibling can be a best friend in one moment, they can be an enemy in the next. Still, most siblings will make up the next day like nothing ever happened.
National Siblings Day falls on April 10 this year, and University students and faculty can take the time to sit down and reflect on their years of petty sibling fights.
Cynthia Buckley, a demographer and a sociology professor in LAS, shared her experience growing up as the eighth child among nine siblings.
“I know what it’s like to grow up on a farm with an enormous number of siblings, fighting for the bathroom,” Buckley said.
Growing up in such a competitive environment, Buckley said she always looked at only children with envy. Despite the cons, she said there are more positive aspects of having siblings.
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“When you have a lot of siblings, one of (the) things that the literature likes to talk about is increased opportunities for sharing. You have stronger ties and stronger friendship networks,” Buckley said. “It also makes you stand up for yourself and gives you a sense of independence because when you have lots and lots of siblings competing for parental time or family resources, you learn to stand up for yourself and make your arguments.”
Aside from the simple sociological benefits of learning manners and other social skills, siblings can be viewed as a support outlet or someone to turn to besides guardians. This concept was expressed by Jeyendra Maddali, a graduate student studying civil engineering.
“They’re really important to share stuff with that’s happening in your life. Sometimes you don’t even find your friends or family suitable to talk to. And that’s when siblings are really helpful,” Maddali said. “In general it’s just a good feeling to have a family that is closer to your age.”
Growing up, Maddali said he fought a lot with his younger brother. Some fights lasted three to four months of not talking to each other, but they always managed to reconcile.
“I feel like having a sibling really taught me how to be responsible,” Maddali said. “If it was just me alone, I would’ve probably been a spoiled brat.”
Raised with two older sisters, Shivarama Revanuru, a graduate student studying mechanical engineering, recalls fighting for no reason. As he grew older, Revanuru noted his sisters helped him a lot in his career and gave him the best advice. He says he can’t imagine a life without them.
However, the biggest advantage of having two older sisters was being able to develop a sense of style, according to Revanuru.
“They’re very helpful in my shopping. I can’t shop without them,” Revanuru said. “They can give the best options for you.”
“Stop fighting with me and study hard,” Maddali said at the end of the interview in hopes of his brother reading it. Hopefully, Maddali’s brother gets the chance to read this and feel how much he is loved by his older brother.
