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Original poster

Tell me about the relationships you have with your siblings

75 replies

Cloudsandrainbows · 29/03/2021 08:23

I wanted to know who of you out there are an only child? Do you wish you had siblings? Why? Who has siblings and wishes they didn't? Anyone have a step or half sibling? What is your relationship with them as an adult? Have anyones experience as a child with or without siblings influenced your own choice on having a child/children? Just really interested! So many pros and cons to only child vs a brood! Thanks

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 29/03/2021 09:57

My sister is fab. There is only 15 months between us.

Toddlerteaplease · 29/03/2021 09:58

She teases me mercilessly!

PhilCornwall1 · 29/03/2021 09:59

I have a distant relationship with my brother, last time I saw or spoke to him was Xmas day at my parents, before that, I don't know when I last spoke to him.

Whilst it may have been over 25 years ago, he conned me out of some money, which for me soured everything. He will have forgotten about it, I haven't and never will. I think when my parents are gone, there will be little to no contact with him, which is fine by me.

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Families
RumJerrySailorRum · 29/03/2021 10:16

I have 3 brothers.
9 years between eldest and youngest.
I'm the 3rd child and only girl.

We are close, but I am squeezed out when there are 2 or more of my brothers about. They don't know they are doing it and my parents don't notice either.

A lot of family shit is automatically defaulted to me as the only girl and I am also more often than not the family scapegoat.

We socialise together and enjoy each other's company.

However, Whilst we are close, I don't really belong. My parents were old fashioned and I'm more of a 'rebel'. They have relaxed themselves now, especially where the grandkids are concerned.

I'm childless. I am my nieces and nephews biggest champion. I will not allow them to be stifled in anyway and they are aware that my door will never, ever be closed to them.

Ikora · 29/03/2021 10:50

I am one of six, which is far too many.

Over the years there has been some alliances. Part of that is geography but also just a good fit. I am especially very close to one sister it’s mainly because we view our childhood through the same lense. We also have similar interests.

Snooper22 · 29/03/2021 10:57

I have 4 siblings from my mother's side and 3 siblings from my fathers side. My father took custody when I was very young so I never had a relationship with my mother and the other siblings were also taken away or into care etc. Im not in touch with any of my mothers side siblings, I got in touch with them when I was younger but they felt like strangers to me and we had different upbringings. On my fathers side I'm the eldest and we lived together so bonded and now we are adults we get on very well.

TigerBeetle · 29/03/2021 10:57

I have one brother, we get on well but have quite different personalities and I wouldn't call us close. We live about an hour away and rarely see each other. I know I could rely on him in a crisis though.

ParkheadParadise · 29/03/2021 11:03

I'm the youngest of 6. I have a great relationship with all my siblings. Some of my older siblings argue amongst themselves but I've always got on with all of them. I was spoiled by all of them when I was young they sometimes still treat me like the baby of the family I'm 43😃😃
I see my sisters all the time, my brothers you need to make more of a effort with, I see my sil's more than my brothers. When I've needed them in the past they have all been there for me. Same as I would be there for them.
I had Dd1 very young and never planned anymore, had dd2 23 years after dd1. All of my siblings had 3+ children each.

madmumofteens · 29/03/2021 16:32

Pretty distant sadly a huge fallout over inheritance my brother was executor and he sadly died I had to step in and sort out the mess. I have found it hard to forget their behaviour still love them don't like them very much though 😔

dalrympy · 29/03/2021 16:37

Non existent. We have nothing in common and I don't like him or how he lives his life.

Haven't spoken for nearly 2 years

ADragonCalledKeith · 29/03/2021 16:43

I'm an only child. I had a lovely childhood and now I'm early 40's get on very well with my mum.
Had friends, but none like a sibling.
I was close to my cousins but again, I was the youngest by a few years so no mega relationships through the years.
Now I'm older with divorced parents, what worries me is being the only one to look after them when they get older. Not sure how I'll deal with that tbh.

I've had 2 children and they're 2+ years apart. Seem to get on okay and make each other laugh! They're only little though, not even at school.

HazelBite · 29/03/2021 17:08

Funnily enough I was talking to my DIL today about my relationship with my siblings (we are both from families of 4 siblings)
Older brother, always had a big opinion of himself, would not consider he is being hurtfull or unkind when he is being just that!
Older Sister, we became very close after DM died, she, unfortuneately has parkinsons related dementia and is in a home, I miss her terribly, and the way we used to talk and confide in one another.
Youngest sister is married to a pompous wanker, they are both horrible deceitful people, and have fallen out with everyone within the extended family due to their awful behaviour and attitudes, I am indifferent to her now and only contact her, by card at Christmas, I have never met her 2 sons. It is a shame but I do not want any contact with their parents.
Funnily enough DIL has a similar dynamic with her 3 siblings ie one she is close to, one she can't bear, and another that she feels indifferent to.

Thesaltandthesea · 29/03/2021 17:14

I'm the eldest of 4. There's me, a 3 year gap and then sis1, bro, sis2 one year after the other. Me and sis1 are like best friends. See each other most weeks despite living an hour apart and message/speak on the phone each day. Bro lives in another country and is hopeless at keeping in touch but when he's back in the UK me, him and sis1 are an absolute riot of fun.

And then there's sis2. She is not like the 3 of us in any respect. She's the youngest so has been babied to an extent but believes the world owes her a living. We are all virtually NC with her for a number of reasons.

PowerhouseOfTheCell · 29/03/2021 17:20

I'm an only because of the relationship my mum had with her two brothers, she was the eldest of a very young mother so was given adult responsibilities at a very young age and was severely punished when she couldn't meet the too high standards
Youngest is still seen as the baby golden child at almost 40! Middle child has basically extracted themselves from the family because of the dysfunctional nature of it all

TimeIhadaNameChange · 29/03/2021 17:30

1 sister, 10 years older. Has narc tendencies and bullies our mother, who gives in for a quiet life, usually at my expense.

Will be going NC when our mother dies.

Cattenberg · 29/03/2021 17:46

My DSIS is nearly eight years younger than me. She lives a hundred miles away and has a busy life, so I only see her in person about three times a year.

DSIS is a very hard-working person and if anyone needs practical help, she’ll take time off work, come over and get stuck in. However, she’s not really a person to confide in, she’s more of the pull-your-socks-up-and-get-on-with-it type.

She asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding, but didn’t invite me to her hen do, because she wanted it to be “just her friends”. You see, we get on fairly well as sisters, but if we weren’t related, we wouldn’t be “friends”.

STARmyarse · 29/03/2021 17:47

I’ve realised recently I don’t like my sibling.

Just soooooo pleased when themself.

Thejoyfulstar · 29/03/2021 18:06

Was an only child for a long time and it was a very lonely experience, and the gap was too big when my sibling came along for that feeling to go away. I think it has affected me in ways I probably don't even understand. I get on ok with my sibling but its complicated.

I really didn't want the same for my kids, so started trying for baby number 2 when my first was 18 months. I am so happy to have two close in age and I see the relationship that they have is nothing like my lonely childhood. I would have more if my husband agreed but I am happy that neither of my kids is alone.

WhenPushComesToShove · 29/03/2021 18:13

I had the most wonderful, beloved brother and life long best friend. He died...

catlovingdoctor · 29/03/2021 18:16

Three siblings. Currently no relationship with any.

cptartapp · 29/03/2021 18:29

My parents are dead. My brother lives an hour away and we don't really get on, have had very little contact with him and my nephew too, over the years. Sorting my mums estate with him reminded me why.
It's a shame because I therefore have no family on my side that I ever see.
I still feel giving my DC a sibling has been the best thing ever. They're older teens and having two has been my single best parenting decision.

Trickyboy · 29/03/2021 18:40

I have 2 brothers one 32 months older one 27 months younger. I would choose both as my friends if we weren't related.

We aren't in each other's pockets but I know that if If my car broke down in the middle of the night.. or did something daft like run out of petrol and I couldn't get hold of DH or the DC - the first words each would say would be ' where are you, I'll come and get you. '

My siblings have my back. Absolutely.

I am delighted to say that this closeness without suffocation has transferred to my own 3 DC who have always loved each other and looked out for each other.

I cannot imagine life without siblings. My mum was an only through parents choice. She is now mid 80s and still rails against a decision that has affected her far longer than it would have affected them.

ILoveAnOwl · 29/03/2021 18:57

I ha e a brilliant relationship with my sister so long as we only communicate by text and remain four hours apart!

Lasvegas · 29/03/2021 23:06

My sister and I very close in age. Detested each other I left home at 18 and hardly seen her since.

I had one dd as I couldn’t stand for her to have a horrid sibling like I did.

Timeisavirtue · 29/03/2021 23:16

Me and my db30 have a pretty good relationship. We even work for the same company...
my sister is 16, we fight like cat and dog but for the most part get on pretty well especially where football and tv are concerned.

I have 3 younger half siblings that are the same age as my kids so they pretty much all get on. We don’t see them too often as they live far away but I wish I did see them more.
Db 13 is 9 months older than DS
Db 10 also gets on well with DS they all play nicely together despite them being into sports and DS not sporty whatsoever.
Dd 8 is almost 2 years older than dsis 7 and they get on like a house on fire.