the Power of Siblings

Driving home tonight from dinner I was listenin' to a little John Tesh... yes, I know. Go ahead and make fun. He was talking about how siblings help shape our lives and I thought I would post what he said.

*Pulled from his radio site with a few of my personal thoughts thrown in there.*

1.They buffer stress. ...research shows that having a brother or sister adds an extra level of protection and moral support, especially during stressful events like a separation or divorce.

I totallly agree! What would I do without having not just one, but TWO sisters to vent to!?

2.They provide social sparring partners. ... researchers found that sibling can get into a fight anywhere from six to 10 times per hour. While these fights can be a headache for parents, they help kids learn how to do things like stick up for themselves and negotiate compromises.

Well that explains it all. We 3 girls don't have issues sticking up for ourselves.

3.They drive our accomplishments. ... we try to assert our independence from our family by being different from our siblings. That’s why it’s common for one family to have a child who’s athletic, and another who’s a whiz with the books.

Interesting... but it totally makes sense.

4.Siblings help our romantic relationships. ...having a brother or sister of the opposite sex makes it easier for us to form adult relationships - because we already know what to expect when we start socializing. In one study, people who were raised with older siblings had an easier time starting conversations, and were more likely to be rated as interesting by their peers.

Ugh, my sisters have been right more times than I would like to admit when it comes to boys. Rachel even convinced Sarah to keep dating Alex just to see how things go and voila! Wedding Bells! He jokingly continues to thank her for it.

Seeing these few research findings reminds me how lucky I am that I have sisters. I honestly think I'ld be really different without them. a little food for thought...