To ask if you like your siblings

[User5672]

Me and my sibling were close when children but now don’t really get on.

[exLtEveDallas]

I don’t dislike them, but generally can’t be bothered with them. They add nothing to my life and I resent the fact that they pretty much ignore my DD (no birthday or Xmas greetings/cards/presents since she was about 8) whilst their children, who are now all adults) were the be all and end all when they were kids.

When my parents pass I doubt very much I’ll see any of them again. I won’t make the effort and I know damn well they won’t - they never have!

[Mummyoflittledragon]

No. I have had to go NC for my physical protection. He is a violent bully, allowed to mercilessly tease me and be sexually inappropriate with me as a child. He has chosen a wife with psychopathic traits. We used to see them but it was always about them and what they wanted. I was just there to pander to them. He of course is the golden child and the last violent episode was explained away as my fault when I did absolutely nothing to provoke him. I was taken ill and this triggered his rage. This was the point of no return for me.

[lokoho]

Yes, I do. We all love each other and get on well. I love their spouses too and we spend time together fairly frequently. None of us are hugely extroverted but we have a lot of interests in common so we can always find things to do together - even if it's just lying around reading. I love all their children and it's generally a happy family. I think this seems uncommon on MN but it's not so uncommon in life. Anyway, I am glad about it and thankful.

[Milssofadoesntreallyfit]

I don't dislike them but I wouldn't choose to spend time with them. I don't know how they feel but for me they're just OK people, no real special bond or love there.

[Home42]

Yes, we live in the same street as my parents and see each other most days. We probably don’t have much in common outside of being family but I love her and her kids (and I’m sure it’s mutual). We will be grannies together!

[BenjiCat]

I'm very envious of those who have close and decent relationships with their siblings. However, I do think it's somewhat luck of the draw.

I have one older sister who I've realised in recent years is really not a very nice person. If I'm honest she's always been this way since childhood (difficult, manipulative, emotionally volatile) but she's excellent at projecting /blaming others for her nasty behaviour.

Similarly to another poster, I even went to therapy for a while after particularly nasty treatment by her to deal with my feelings of being 'guilty', 'responsible' and that I was a 'horrible person' . It helped me to realise that it was her who had a problem, not me. I now try to feel a little sorry for her. Happy, secure and stable people do not go around being nasty and putting others down all the time!

We're basically no contact other than passing by one another at my parent's house at Christmas now. I don't see that changing in the future!

[EffOrf]

We get on ok but really more like colleagues than siblings, just really see each other at Christmas though maybe not this year...

[Cosyjimjamsforautumn]

Didnt get on at all with my Dsis when we shared a room as children. Physical fights and lots of sulking (more me 🤣). She was the golden child, probably an easier child for my mum to manage than i was.
However it all changed when i left for Uni as the competition stopped. Now very good mates and in contact most days

[Elephantonascooter]

Love my sister, she's great but lives far away so don't get to see her but talk often.

I have 2 brothers. One is a dickhead, the other even more so. There's 10 years between me and the oldest brother. Neither of them have ever appreciated that I'm no longer a child and haven't got to know me as an adult. Oldest brother is a womanising self absorbed narcasistic and discussing excuse for a man. I need to go NC really, and I know it's coming but takes time to get there sometimes.
When I had my son they were so set on being 'uncles' that they dismissed me as a mother. They are not known as uncles to my son and never will be.
Shit will go down this year as I decided last year that I won't be doing gifts for them for Xmas anymore. Can't wait for that conversation.
Argh I'm all riled up now, I need a drink!

[papiermaches]

Loved them then, love them now.
DP has a toxic sibling and I really feel that DP is missing out on having that relationship.

[AliasGrape]

There’s a big age gap so we didn’t exactly grow up together, one DSis and DBro were adults more or less by the time I was born, other DSis was 12 so I just remember her living at home though she left at 18.

But yes, I’m very close to my sisters in particular. We have a lovely time when we get together, tell each other everything, support each other etc. Not saying we don’t wind each other up occasionally but they’re two of my favourite people to be with. I’m also close to their kids - my eldest nieces and nephews are close enough in age to me to be kind of like siblings in themselves and we get on well too, and I spend a lot of time with their kids. We’re lucky.

[redwoodmazza]

Hated my brother who was 4 years older than me and used to hurt me.
Not seen him since about 1976. Yay!

[Quarantimespringclean]

I don’t like my sister. I maintain a very low level of contact with her because she is lonely (because she is selfish and self obsessed so can’t keep friends or a partner) and I feel some obligation and pity for her. I haven’t seen or heard from my brother for years. He is an alcoholic and moved away from our expensive part of the world to live in a cheaper area where he can live on benefits and still afford to buy cheap cider. I’ve invited him to some milestone family events over the years but he has never responded. My mum is elderly and frail and I have his address so I can contact him when she dies but I doubt he will come to the funeral.

I see other women my age enjoying spending time with their siblings and I am so envious. I would love that bond. I sometimes worry that maybe it’s me and there is something in me that alienates people. I have a lovely husband and adult DC. I am very close to a couple of cousins and am blessed with a wonderful network of good friends so I know I am luckier than a lot of people but I still miss the company of the brother and sister I grew up with.

[JorisBonson]

No. And not for any particular reason, we just don't get on. If we weren't related we'd have nothing to do with each other.

[SallyWD]

I have 2 brothers. Love them! They're hilarious. I used to fight a lot with the brother who I'm closest in age to. Once we got to our mid-teens we became very close and have been ever since.

[BossAssBitch]

I adore my sister, she is my best friend, she is an incredible woman, one of the smartest and most accomplished women I have ever met, and funny with it. I am missing her so much and vice versa.

[BathshebaAndGabriel]

I invited my “dry” alcoholic brother to live with us during lockdown (so he didn’t end up with our mother).
It’s not going well.

He’s selfish and lazy. But still makes me feel guilty.

[Mintjulia]

I have four. One is brilliant and the other three are OK.

We get on much better as adults. No competing or petty jealousies.

[xQueenMabx]

One brother, we have never been particularly close but I do love him. He is a very quiet person who has always been focused on his work. I message him a couple of times a month to make sure he is ok and our parents phone once a week.

I'd like us to be closer but have accepted the way he is

[justanotherneighinparadise]

We don’t get on but I still love her and wouldn’t want any harm to come to her. I think sibling relationships are extremely complex.

[Alymcnabs]

I love my brother and his wife and spend a lot of time with them.

I don’t have a close relationship with my older sister. She has always been bossy, controlling and never considered my opinion on anything. I don’t like her husband either. They are well matched.

[BatleyTownswomensGuild]

There's no hard feelings or bad blood but we are not really that close. I love him more out of habit than anything. We are such, such different people. When we are in a room together we pretty much run out of conversation after 10 minutes. Literally the only thing we have in common are our parents....

[22Giraffes]

I love my sister to bits, she is the best. We get on so well and talk everyday, and always text random funny shit. Before lockdown we would meet up with the kids all the time, I am really struggling with not being able to see her

As kids things at home weren't always great, and she protected/shielded me from a lot which I am forever grateful for. She is the most generous person and would do anything to help anyone, I love her!

[Whatisthisfuckery]

Me and Dsis get on well for the most part but we can rub each other right up the wrong way. In some respects we’re quite similar, but in others were like chalk and cheese. We’ve always got each other’s back though.

[JellyTotsGrewTooBig]

1 I like and would gladly spend time with. If we weren’t siblings I could see us being friends anyway. DH feels the same way and we both like her DH too. We are the most alike of all my siblings so maybe that’s it - a lot of shared interests. We live about 2 hours away from each other and both have busy lives so only see each other maybe every 2 months or so. We would never call each other just for a chat, but if we did call each other about something specific we’d happily chat for a while and we do text fairly regularly.

1 I wouldn’t be friends with if we weren’t siblings, and the same goes for her DH. He annoys me more than she does - he’s quite arrogant and one of those people who likes to argue for the sake of it. I can cope with her but wouldn’t choose to spend time together. It doesn’t help that 2 of their DC are spoilt brats (the other two are lovely) and I really don’t like spending time with them. I will admit that their parenting choices definitely colour my view of them.

1 I can’t stand and would gladly never see again. She is a total drama queen and a pathological liar - always inventing something to make her life sound more interesting. I thought she would grow out of that as she got older but she’s nearly 30 now and while she’s not as bad as she used to be, she still hasn’t grown up. She is also one of the most patronising people I have ever met - she does a lot of work with kids and speaks to all kids in a really patronising way - including teenagers. She also does it with older people too and it makes me so cross - esp the way she speaks to my grandpa. My DH and DC have no time for her either and honestly if we never saw her again that would be fine by all of us.