The Three Phases

              This past week I've been doing quite a bit of research on this topic, and I realized the best information I had was all around me my entire life. I'm about to explain sibling relationships in three very simple phases that anyone with siblings has gone through. (This is all from my personal experience as a babysitter, middle child, and from watching my friends interact with their siblings. This is not scientifically proven.)

• The first phase is the Adoration phase, there are many different pieces to this phase but it is also the shortest phase.

1. The Newborn- Right after the new child has arrived, all their cuteness is like a magnetic pull that is very hard to resist.
2. The Helper- This is when the older child/ren want to anything and everything they can to help with their new little family member.
3. The Protector- This is the stage where the child/ren are making sure nothing harms the little one. (more common in boys with baby sisters, at least that's what I have noticed)

              These pieces normally go all together and last up until the newborn is a toddler.

• The next phase is the Best and Worst of Friends phase, this one is pretty self explanatory.

1. After the child/ren grow up some more and are better with interacting with one another, there will be many (and I mean many) on and off days.
2. You'll notice that a lot of the time the shifts can last from a minute or so to a day or two. This is definitely normal, don't worry if the shifts change several times in a day.
3. Also when one of the kids is in trouble for something they did on their own (i.e.: getting into something they knew they shouldn't be in.) and the child is in trouble, the other sibling/s often want to make the child in trouble feel better. They'll talk them into behaving or just try to make them smile.

This is one of the most rewarding and annoying stages of childhood.

 

• This last phase is the one your children/siblings will be in the rest of your lives. It is the Friendly phase.

1. There is still going to be fights and stupidity, but it should be much more spaced out, and the kids will bond over their bad behavior and secrets.
2. This is the stage where you realize how much your family means to you even if you don't want to or they embarrass you.
3. Normally the kids stop treating each other like babies and more like equals which allows them to bond easier.

 

This is the most difficult stage, but also the easiest.

 

 

          Today I am still in the Best and Worst of Friends stage with my baby brother, but hopefully soon, as he starts to mature it will be the same stage as the rest of my brothers. (The Friendly Phase) I know way too much about my middle brother, and not enough about my older brothers. But I'm happy with my relationships with my family. I hope you are as well, and I hope that this can give you some type of understanding of sibling relationships.

 

Thanks for reading!

Until Next Time

~LateRayne