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Original poster

What’s it like having a sister ?

72 replies

GingerPussInBoots · 31/05/2025 11:24

ive Always wondered

OP posts:
Gothamcity · 31/05/2025 11:33

My sister is alot younger than me, I grew up with my brother and we were never close. But I had an almost Mother daughter relationship with my sister growing up due to the age gap. Now as adults we are extremely close. Despite the age gap, our children aren't hugely far apart in age, and we have alot of shared experiences and support eachother alot. I love her to bits, even though she was an extremely difficult child and teen, since she became an adult we have really become close. Wouldn't be without her.

Springadorable · 31/05/2025 11:40

Again a big age gap between me and my sister, but we're not close particularly. We get on fine, just very different people.

ReignOfError · 31/05/2025 11:57

I have nothing to compare it to, so it’s hard to say. I’m not friends with either of my sisters, in the sense that we don’t hang out together, as we don’t have shared interests or lifestyles, and the age gap was too wide for us to be close as kids.

I do know they’d have my back, and absolutely be there if I needed them (and vice-versa) but that’s a family, rather than sister, thing, as it’s true for my brother too.

Pecano · 31/05/2025 12:16

I have 3 sisters, one older and 2 younger. We are all fairly close in age (18m-2years between each of us). As an adult we are good friends. I see one of them more often as we children the same age, so I have a default person to invite along to soft play, or the park. We very often invite ourselves round to each other houses randomly so that the kids can play and we can sit on opposite end of the sofa scrolling on our phones, helping ourselves to things from each others fridges. There is no requirement to entertain a sister when they come round. And it doesn’t matter if you argue as you know they aren’t going anywhere.

As teenagers we were all at each others throats though, I genuinely don’t know how our mum coped.

honeyrider · 31/05/2025 13:07

I've got seven sisters and one brother, enough of us to form different gangs so to speak. I'm the eldest and had left home before the youngest was born. The age range is 60 down to 40.

I'm only close to two of them, not overly bothered by a couple more and have nothing to do with the rest for decades apart from my brother.

One thing that baffles me is how many people think because I come from a big family we must be close, far from it and I know from speaking with friends from big families most aren't close.

My mother is and has always been a big shit stirrer and always played one off against another then plays the victim when called out on it.

AnneLovesGilbert · 31/05/2025 13:12

I adore mine. She’s 6 years younger and we’ve always been incredibly close. She now lives on the other side of the world but we talk all the time and she’s one of the best things in my life.

Do you have brothers?

GameOfJones · 31/05/2025 13:15

I have three sisters and one brother, so am also from a big family and agree with a PP that doesn't necessarily mean we are close.....there was a lot of arguing when we were teenagers.

I'm probably closest with my brother as we live nearest to one another. With my sisters it varies.

One of them I've always gotten along with, another one we get on better now as adults and had children around the same time so have that in common.....the third one I have as little to do with as possible. We are very different people and she bullied me terribly when we were younger and in all honesty I've never forgotten or forgiven some of the things she said to me.....even if it was 20 years ago I clearly hold a grudge.

I don't actually live near to any of my sisters.....the closest one is a 3 hour drive away but the two I get on with I chat to via WhatsApp regularly and we have a great time when we see each other.

tsmainsqueeze · 31/05/2025 13:18

I would possibly 'die' for my sister but equally i could strangle her quite regularly, i imagine she may feel the same about me.
I wish i had a best friend kind of relationship with her.

cheezncrackers · 31/05/2025 13:18

I have a sister, younger, and tbh we don't have a lot in common. She is an introvert with MH problems, no DP, no kids, works FT. I'm the opposite and always have been. I find her hard to understand and the decisions she makes generally inexplicable. We both make an effort, but we wouldn't be friends if we weren't sisters. I love her, but I find her hard work and actually quite draining a lot of the time. My DH also has a sister and he and she have a similar dynamic- they both make an effort - but actually have very little in common.

kkneat · 31/05/2025 13:23

I’m from a sibling group of 7 all close in age & I’ve got 3 sisters. We remain close, I mostly see 1 as we live near & the other 2 live in different countries. I find I do less with friends because of being with my sister a lot. We could 100per cent all rely on each other. Closer with my sisters then brothers as we have more to talk about

sunshinechaser · 31/05/2025 13:29

She’s an alcoholic (and probably drug addict), racist, has never worked, has a huge chip in her shoulder, abandoned her own daughter, gets into physical fights often and thinks the whole world is against her. We haven’t spoken for about 15 years and is probably the only person I know that I’m terrified of.
It helped my decision to only have 1 child as sibling bonds haven’t happened for me.

BlueEyedBogWitch · 31/05/2025 13:33

When things are good, it’s absolutely ace. But when things go bad, it’s seriously awful.

Extremes. That’s been my experience, anyway.

Taytocrisps · 31/05/2025 13:37

I have two. They're both older than me. The eldest one is a very caring person. But she's also very intense and can be a bit bossy. She's great, but in small doses. I'm a very different kind of person - much calmer and much less inclined to tell other people what to do.

My other sister is more like me. However, we both have very busy lives, so we don't get to meet up all that often.

I have two brothers also. I was closest to my younger brother when we were small.

If I needed help, I could call on any one of my siblings and they'd be there for me 100%. But I don't actually socialize much with any of them and never have. We get together for family events or big birthdays and at Christmas but otherwise, we do our own things.

ClickingIt · 31/05/2025 13:48

honeyrider · 31/05/2025 13:07

I've got seven sisters and one brother, enough of us to form different gangs so to speak. I'm the eldest and had left home before the youngest was born. The age range is 60 down to 40.

I'm only close to two of them, not overly bothered by a couple more and have nothing to do with the rest for decades apart from my brother.

One thing that baffles me is how many people think because I come from a big family we must be close, far from it and I know from speaking with friends from big families most aren't close.

My mother is and has always been a big shit stirrer and always played one off against another then plays the victim when called out on it.

Edited

I was an only child but I can relate to many parts of this post ! Toxic mother - couldn’t play me off against siblings but definitely played the victim!

Also it interesting what you say about big family assumption. People think only children must be close to their parents. It’s garbage .

Gattopard · 31/05/2025 13:50

I think it depends who your sister is.

CookingFatCat · 31/05/2025 13:53

My sister and her behaviour toward me has been one of the most damaging relationships in my life.
I wish it were otherwise!

RellieAngst · 31/05/2025 13:57

Some sisters have a lovely relationship, others it is a nightmare.

I used to have a really good friend when I was a teen, who had an awful sister. She was verbally abusive and I saw her hit her. I think she was really jealous and catty to my friend.

Then my lovely friend died in an accident. I often wonder how her sister felt afterwards, losing her younger sister so tragically, and having been an absolute bitch to her.

Gowlett · 31/05/2025 13:58

My sister is the Golden Child, she’s in a pedestal.
I see my parents more, and do lots for them, as they do for me. But, financially, she’s not afraid to ask them for more.

This hasn’t changed my relationship with her, it’s up to my parents how they want to treat each of us. We’re quite different, she’s serious, I’m a hippie. I’m the poor relation.

babystarsandmoon · 31/05/2025 13:58

There’s only 4 years between us but we don’t see or speak to each other outside of when we visit our parents at the same time. There’s no real reason for this, we just have our own lives and get on when we do see each other.

MeAndMyGhost · 31/05/2025 13:59

I have a half sister who despises me.

Following for the nice stories.

SociableAtWork · 31/05/2025 13:59

If you ask my brother, it’s pretty awful and not worth bothering about 🤷‍♀️

I’ve always wondered too, specially when you see sisters that are ‘besties’. Must be amazing.

Gansy · 31/05/2025 13:59

honeyrider · 31/05/2025 13:07

I've got seven sisters and one brother, enough of us to form different gangs so to speak. I'm the eldest and had left home before the youngest was born. The age range is 60 down to 40.

I'm only close to two of them, not overly bothered by a couple more and have nothing to do with the rest for decades apart from my brother.

One thing that baffles me is how many people think because I come from a big family we must be close, far from it and I know from speaking with friends from big families most aren't close.

My mother is and has always been a big shit stirrer and always played one off against another then plays the victim when called out on it.

Edited

My family is a bit smaller, but same.
I could be written this @honeyrider A divide and conquer mentality with our mother.

As we’ve grown up, they haven’t copped on to it. So, I’ve little in common with them. They’re incredibly motivated by jealousy. I put it down to trying to see the most desirable child to our mother. I’ve just removed myself from it all.

@GingerPussInBoots It really is the luck of the draw. I’ve seen some get on so well. Some are so deeply horrid and know exactly what to do to hurt.

Nowheretobeseen · 31/05/2025 14:00

Mines a lot older. Used to be close but not so much anymore

Largestlegocollectionever · 31/05/2025 14:01

Amazing, she’s my best friend and my rock, gives me the security I didn’t get from my parents as I know she’d be there for me no matter what and has been

PorgyandBess · 31/05/2025 14:04

What it’s like is completely different for everyone.

I have 3 older sisters. We all get on. Socialise a few times a year with our families. We’re close but not ‘friends’ close. I’m much, much closer to a few of my friends, and it’s them I turn to if I need support and they’re the ones I can’t imagine life without.