Sibling relationships are more important than once perceived

The only child in a family is often accustomed to getting all the attention from their parents, but once another kid comes along, parents have to split their time with children. The second born and following kids in a family never know what it feels like to get all the individual attention from their parents, and now research from the Early Child Development and Education at the University of Toronto showed older siblings can have major impact on their development.

Jennifer Jenkins, the study’s senior author and the Atkinson Chair of Early Child Development and Education at the University of Toronto believes older siblings can compensate for the lessened attention children receive as their families continue to grow, reported Reuters Health.

“The idea is that here is this effect of being in a large family where you don’t get that many resources, but if you get an older sibling that’s really attuned to your needs that would be a modifying effect,” Jenkins said.

Create opportunities for sibling relationships to grow
Many siblings look up to their older brothers and sisters, and if it’s possible to foster strong relationships, older brothers and sisters should do so because it can aid in the development of the younger members of their families. If older siblings can figure out a way to relate to younger brothers and sisters, Jenkins believes that can be the missing piece for younger children who have to split the attention with their parents.

“Siblings really play this very strong role in how kids come out,” Jenkins told Reuters . “I’d like people to think about those sibling relationships a little bit more and then how to strengthen them.”

Can martial arts strengthen sibling relationships?
For siblings to get along, there often has to be something that they both enjoy to bring them together. This is why parents should think about getting all of their children interested in taking martial arts classes. Not only can siblings work together on their skill sets at home and in training, but it also gives them something that they can talk about and learn to love together.

Unfortunately, there are many older siblings who don’t get along with younger brothers and sisters. Being tied together through martial arts can strengthen their bonds and lead to the strong sibling relationships that parents hope for when they make the decision to have a family.