We love our siblings as much as we hate them, after all, there is no such thing as a โperfect family.โ Growing up, youโd often tussle with your siblings over almost everything like whoโs going to watch on the television or whoโs going to get the better gift for Christmas.
Itโs almost safe to say that arguments and misunderstandings are just normal among siblings, wouldnโt you agree?
It even gets worse when you have a sister, right? Their exaggerated reactions over small things and overly dramatic expressions are oftentimes annoying. We just simply hate how they do even the simplest things like brushing their hair or putting their shoes on.
But no matter how irritating it is to have a sister, you canโt ignore the reality that you love them as much as you hate them. In fact, studies proved that having a sister can help someone become a better person.
You can argue with your sister but not with science.
In a 2010 study conducted at Brigham Young University and published in the Journal of Family Psychology, they learned that having a sister improves a childโs mental and emotional health at a tremendous level.
This study of BYU was based on their assessment of 395 families with multiple siblings with ages ranging between 10 to 14 years old.
Alex Jensen, one of the authors of the research, said that โEven sibling conflict, if it is minor, can promote healthy development.โ
Turns out that no matter how much you hate having your sister around, their existence in your life alone can still be favorable on your side in terms of mental health.
Below is the list of benefits of having a sister according to Brigham Young Universityโs research.
- The existence of a sister in your life can greatly help you improve your self-esteem. Turns out, their natural loudness is the key to keeping their siblings away from loneliness, fear, guilt, and self-consciousness. A sister can generally help you have better mental health because they will never make you feel unloved. Their study also mentioned that the gap in age between the siblings doesnโt affect any of the results from their research.
- Your sister can also help you solve conflicts more effectively, be more nurturing, and be more compassionate toward other people. Little do you know, that when you fight with your older sister, those countless arguments with them will eventually help you handle conflicts in a better way. On the other hand, your little sister will teach you how to be more careful, compassionate, and nurturing. These good traits will also help you become a better husband and father in the future.
- Getting into fights with your sister (brothers too) will eventually teach you how to manage emotions, particularly anger. โIf siblings get in a fight, they have to regulate emotions. Thatโs an important skill to learn for later in life,โ said Laura Padilla- Walker, head of the study and a professor at Brigham Young University.
- Generally, having a sister in life makes someone kinder and more generous. Sisters can help someone have good social behavior such as selflessness, empathy, and generosity.
Your family will do nothing but good in your life. Yes, misunderstandings and fights happen here and there, but there is no escaping the fact that life is always better when they are around. Itโs always better to live a challenging life with them rather than to have a successful life alone.
Discover the other positive benefits of having siblings by watching the video below.
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