#1 Sister Destroyed 3D Puzzle That Took 3 Months To Make
#2 My Brother Borrowed One Of My Books And This Is How I Got It Back
Whether the children are just toddlers or have already grown into teens, it's common for siblings to battle it out quite a bit.
Research suggests that up to 80% have engaged in at least mild sibling aggression, such as hitting.
#3 Dishwasher Is Broken. We Each Have A Dish Day. 6 People In The House. Sister Never Does Her Dishes On Her Day. Sink Is 3 Ft Deep And Has Been Full For Four Days
#4 The "Pale Blue" Dress My Sister Bought For My Wedding
#5 A Bucket Of "Rotten" Cherries My Sister Told Me To Throw Out
This behavior isn't unique to humans, and humans are nowhere near as bad as some other animals are. Many animal siblings kill each other, sometimes in front of their helpless parents, too. In certain bird species, the phenomenon is so common that it even has a name: obligate siblicide.
Black eagles are particularly vicious. In one of the observed accounts, the slightly older chick attacked its slightly younger sibling 38 times over the younger's three-day life span, delivering 1,569 blows with its sharp beak. (There was, by the way, more than enough food for both.)
#6 I Let My Brother Use My Room While I Went On Vacation And Came Back To A Broken TV
#7 I Left A Towel At My Brother’s House
#8 My Sister Expects Me To Buy Her A Bottle Of Water And Deliver It To Her Class Instead Of Walking Up To A Water Fountain
Since siblings spend so much time together, especially growing up, some of what we see in the pictures is bound to happen.
"Mild levels of sibling fighting are a normal part of childhood and can even contribute to important developmental processes and maturation," explains Jeff Garofano, PhD, a child psychologist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
"Childhood is a time when children need to learn how to deal with various forms of conflict. Just like wolf pups engage in rough play, your pups need to learn to navigate the various forms of conflict they will face in adulthood."
#9 My Brother Only Eats The Cheese Packets In The Instant Mac And Cheese, And Then Puts It Back On The Shelf
#10 I Wouldn’t Let My Older Sister (Who Lives At Home) Eat My Food
#11 My Sister (25) Took My Beater To Work And Sent Me This. She Won't Tell Me When It Happened Or How Long It Took For Her To Pull Over
#12 Lent My Sister My Laptop To Play Roblox, This Is What I Got Back
According to Dr. Garofano, the reasons why siblings may fight can change depending on their age:
- Toddlers: Not wanting to share, wanting more attention, feeling frustrated, or not being able to communicate clearly.
- Elementary age: Feeling like things are “unfair” or fighting over family roles (ex: who gets to set the table or make the rules in a game).
- Teens: Perceived privacy violations, competition over achievements/popularity/parent approval, or fighting over resources such as access to video games, the family car, clothing, etc.
#13 Brother Is Mad Because He Got A Car Instead Of A Truck From My Family And Somehow It’s My Fault
#14 My Brother Insists On Showering, Blasting Show Tunes, And Leaving The Light On In Our Shared Bathroom. It Is 1:30 AM
#15 Asked My Brother To Park My Car In The Driveway After He Borrowed It. He Chose To Park It On The Street Instead. Woke Up To This Dolly
#16 My Brother Put Light Brown Sugar Into The Same Container As Dark Brown Sugar, Claiming It Didn't Matter Since They Were Both Sugar
While sibling fighting is common, its impact can still be detrimental, depending on its severity and frequency.
Research has found that sibling bullying is linked to an array of negative outcomes in young adults, including a lower sense of competence, life satisfaction, and self-esteem. It also has the potential to double a person's risk of depression and self-harm in early adulthood.
#17 How My Brother Told Me Our Family Dog Passed Away
#18 My Sister Broke My Phones Screen Because I Told Her To Clean Her Room
#19 My Bohemian Brother Came To Christmas And Took A Shower. This Is What He Left Behind
#20 My Sister Only Uses The White Part Of The Spring Onions.... She Was Going To Throw This Out
One of the best ways to determine whether sibling aggression is within normal limits is to assess its emotional impact. Dr. Garofano recommends asking yourself the following: "When the fight is over, are they able to return to friendly interactions in a reasonable amount of time? Or does the emotional impact on one or both siblings seem to linger for longer than a day?"