Page 10 | To ask if you like your siblings

speakout · 11/07/2020 06:58

Only one sister. Lives the other side of the world. Last spoke to her 5 years ago.

mollokoy · 11/07/2020 07:00

Yes I love them and I like them. They are fine people and I would be thrilled to be friends with them if they weren't mine.

arianwe · 11/07/2020 07:02

I don't like or dislike my brother really.
We have a similar sense of humour now that we are older and I text him every now and then to see how he's getting on, but we never had a bond growing up and probably never will.

wendywoopywoo222 · 11/07/2020 07:12

No. One sibling is nice enough and chat when I see them. The other one is horrid. I still see them at family events and remain civil. However when we lose our elderly parents which is the only thing we have in common I doubt I shall ever see them again.

Velvian · 11/07/2020 07:33

Yes, 2 sisters. Not uncomplicated relationships. Me and next sis went through a lot together as adolescents (she didn't like me at the time) and we have a strong bond as a result. She relies on me in a crisis.

Younger sis, we didn't really grow up together and she was always with my mum, but we get on well, have a similar sense of humour and look more similar.

I've known my 2 big BILs for a long time and am close to them too. I keep in touch more than DH does. I'm not so close to the younger one since he left his wife for a younger woman and lied about it. Elder BIL is very communicative and spends more time on the phone than any other man I know.

Pantheon · 11/07/2020 07:40

Yes, I have 2 brothers and get on well with both

IamMaz · 11/07/2020 07:45

No.
I have one older brother who I last saw in about 1977.

couchparsnip · 11/07/2020 07:49

I like them both but they hate each other at the moment.

squeekums · 11/07/2020 07:59

I was estranged for 15 plus years, only in last 2 months got in contact with my brother for legal stuff around my father's death 8 years ago.
We just have nothing in common.
I spent more of my life alone so I don't have a need or want for that kind of bro/sis relationship. When we speak I can tell he wants that sort of relationship and it just won't happen. We already live 200km away and looking to go further before we got in contact and there no desire to change that based on us in contact.

Nillynally · 11/07/2020 08:00

Youngest sibling yes- bit chaotic, can be a let down, perhaps alcoholic but good fun, loving, good laugh.
Middle sibling- no never have. Rude, selfish, socially awkward, argumentative and very chippy. They have tried recently but I feel incredibly awkward around them.

hampstead1234 · 11/07/2020 08:01

Yes, though we are now in different countries so do not see each other very much. Age gap such that we were never at school together so always had own identities and space.

cremuel · 11/07/2020 08:01

I’ve got one older sister. We’ve never really had much in common and aren’t close, but I see her 2 or 3 times a year and it’s nice to catch up. Our kids get on well (similar ages). We’ve been a big support for each other when my mother was getting dementia and moved into a care home, and now work together to support her and my dad. I feel lucky I guess - it would have been nice to have a sibling I was close to, but the fact that we can work well and support each other through elderly parents is really great -I’d hate to have to do that on my own.

Darker · 11/07/2020 08:11

No. Estranged from my only sibling, my brother.

I made the decision because of his toxic behaviour but there has been huge fallout and most of my family don’t speak to me.

He maintains that he wants a reconciliation but I think he’s misunderstood the meaning of the word reconciliation.

squeekums · 11/07/2020 08:16

When people are discouraging big families on here, I always think it's a very short term view (if the argument is parental time). You have a life time to support and share things with siblings. The more the better
What crap
Why shouldn't parents value their time over a tribe of kids?
Many parents simply not cut out to have so many. My idea of HELL
More siblings don't mean you will all get along.
Many kids don't cope having to vie for attention in such a crowd.

Whatafustercluck · 11/07/2020 08:21

Yes. Closer to one sister than the other, but like them both immensely. The one I'm closest to has a similar sense of humour to me and we have a lot of fun and laughs together - always have. My other sister is an insanely nice person who deserves better from some of the people in her life. She's very sensible and more reserved - still waters run deep and all that. She finds it harder to relax because she's got a shit load of worry and responsibility. I'd do anything to take that away from her.

LadyPrigsbottom · 11/07/2020 08:22

@squeekums

*When people are discouraging big families on here, I always think it's a very short term view (if the argument is parental time). You have a life time to support and share things with siblings. The more the better* What crap Why shouldn't parents value their time over a tribe of kids? Many parents simply not cut out to have so many. My idea of HELL More siblings don't mean you will all get along. Many kids don't cope having to vie for attention in such a crowd.

The only people I know who are from large families, do not like being with their families. I know two men with 6+ siblings and they never go home for Christmas, even though they are single with no dcs. They hate being with their whole family. Just anecdata of course, but it definitely didn't sell the 'loads of kids' dream to me at all!

Saracen · 11/07/2020 08:22

Yes. I was fairly indifferent to her while we were growing up - I neither loved nor hated her, she was almost like a flatmate in my eyes - but ever since we have been away from each other I feel closer and closer to her every year. I love her a great deal, more so now that our parents are both dead.

She is also an awesome auntie to my children.

Kat92 · 11/07/2020 08:22

I dislike my sister a lot. I previously thought we just were not close but she treated me awfully after I had a miscarriage in December and now I am honestly not bothered if I ever see her again.
I let her know I had to have an emergency D&C abroad and all she said was "Well at least your holiday wasnt boring lol". She wasnt in contact at all and when I messaged to say my feelings were hurt, she called up our mum to say I was insulting her?! We arent particularly young either - shes 30 and I am 28.

LadyPrigsbottom · 11/07/2020 08:23

Not brothers, I should clarify^^. Two men from different, unrelated families.

Saracen · 11/07/2020 08:24

What about you, @Theeyeof? What prompted your curiosity? Do you like your siblings?

DriftGames · 11/07/2020 08:27

Yes, younger sister still school age but we get on really well and text a lot (2 hours drive away), and older brother texts often & meet up as and when we can! All get on really well.

slug · 11/07/2020 08:44

Living 12000 away from most of them has improved my relationship with them vastly.

KittyWindbag · 11/07/2020 08:54

Love and like my siblings, but feel closer to and have way more in common with one of them. The other one winds me up a bit when we have discussions and I think we revert to our childhood roles when we are together. But I do like them both as people and enjoy seeing them very much, although it’s rare.

whattimeisitrightnow · 11/07/2020 09:43

I adore my brothers - they’re my best friends in many ways.
I also know many people who actively despise their siblings.
I always find it interesting when people give their reason for having a second child as ‘giving DC1 a sibling’. They could hate each other. If you want another baby, just go for it - do it for yourself!

kazza446 · 11/07/2020 10:14

No, not particularly. My brother has been favoured over me by my mother throughout our lives. He’s not always a nice person and is someone I certainly wouldn’t choose to be friends with. He has a history of abusing girlfriends and being violent. Spent 6 months in prison for assault. He’s been a chronic drug user since the age of 15, now 42 which I believe has contributed to poor mental health. I just can’t forgive him for the endless years of grief and stress he has placed my parents in. It’s been endless. They continuously pick up the pieces, housing him, bailing him out with money. If things are down he harasses them and blames them. I’ve not been able to spend Christmas with them for years as I know every Christmas will end up with him drunk, abusing them. I vowed I would never go again following my children witnessing a verbal altercation between him and my dad which ended with my dad physically throwing him out of the house.
He’s self pitying And thinks everyone owes him a favour. I eventually blocked him from contacting me during lockdown as he was fed up of having to use holidays to look after his child. He Thought i was being unfair pointing out it was unreasonable on him to think that his child couldn’t go and stay with my elderly parents during lockdown to save his holidays! The emails I received were toxic. I decided to block him as I didn’t need the grief.
It now annoys me that my mum now favours his son over my children. Sadly enough I can see his son following with the same traits.
My mum constantly makes excuses for his behaviour. Only yesterday we were talking and I said I wouldn’t necessarily have contact with him when my parents had passed. I was made out to be the bad one in this situation but I don’t see why I should have contact with someone who only thinks of himself.
I have lots of cousins who I stay in touch with. I consider them my family and I will remain in touch with them forever.