If you grew up with siblings, this might sound familiar. Together you have an alliance against your parents, you can argue over the most stupid things and siblings are the ones who can make you angry like no other. As someone who has two brothers and one sister, I can relate to these statements. At first, it might seem that having a sibling is the worst. But, it also has a lot of positive sides. You always have someone to talk with, you have a special bond because you grew up together and you can learn from each other.
While growing up, your bond will develop and change. For example, when I moved out of my family home, I noticed the difference. You don’t get to see your siblings every day anymore, which feels weird and maybe scary at first. I interviewed students about how they thought having a sibling developed them and how they still try to keep in touch.
Robbert Krol
I have one sibling, a little brother. He's three years younger than me. When I think of a nice memory I had with my little brother, I think of when we were little. We would travel to Spain for our summer vacation. We used to do this by car and it took one or two days of non-stop driving without staying at a hotel to sleep. These were long rides for us as little kids. We always brought our Nintendo DS with us. We used to play the same game and it turned into a competition of who made more progress. We can get along with each other just fine. We used to have a strong bond with each other. Unfortunately, the bond isn't that strong anymore, because of the different interests we have. I think we would have to find something again we both enjoy, like when the gyms are opening again, and we have to stick to a diet. That is a passion that we share because we know the struggle and the drive that the other person is going through. Our bond did change once we grew up like I already mentioned, we kind of split apart because of different friend groups and different interests. What I have learned from my brother is that, despite all of our arguments and disagreements in different situations, we are there for each other when needed. We have each other's back, no matter what. I am glad I have a sibling growing up because you always got someone to do stuff with. I think with a sibling, you learn more from each other because someone already went through life experiences, so you can share those and help each other in that way. We shared a lot of great memories when we were little kids, and I am glad we got to make those experiences together!
Wessel Doubleu
I have an older sister named Joyce. She's four years older than me and moved out of our parent's home a year ago. I love her more than anyone, and I'm also very proud of all the things she's done in her life so far. We've always been getting along well and never had fights. Even though we don't speak to each other that much anymore since she moved out, we are still very close. It's like one of those relationships in which nothing changes, not even if you do not see each other in a year. My sister has taught me a lot. Because I'm her younger brother, and I look up to her, and a lot of little things I do are a reflection of what she has taught me to do. For instance, how to talk to people, and work ethic. She might not know herself that she taught me these things.
Our bond was always good, perhaps even perfect. I feel like we could be even closer if we'd see each other more often. We now see each other usually once a week. But that's life. As long as everyone's healthy I'm thankful and blessed.
I cannot imagine myself without my sister. I think it's super important for everyone to have a sibling. A sibling is someone who you can talk to when you're feeling down, someone who relates to you more than your parents sometimes because they're about the same age as you are. They are the fundament you can rely on when life hits you in the face.
Jelle de Groot
I have two younger sisters and one older brother. A nice memory I have with them is from a couple of weeks ago when my brother and I were visiting my sisters in Breda when we were enjoying our drinks outside of a restaurant on the terrace. It was nice that we could meet up together again and finally enjoy the terrace, which was closed for six months. We can get along with each other pretty well, though we have very different personalities. We complement each other.
I think our bond can be improved by visiting each other more often and creating certain traditions that last for a long period of time. The bond that I have with my sisters was the same for a long period of time, until my sisters moved out. We see each other less often now but the times we do compensate for the time missing each other. I think that having siblings has made me more responsible and made it easier for me to get along with other people. Without my brother and sisters, life would be a lot more boring, I think. Having multiple siblings means there is almost always someone available to hang out with. Having siblings causes a lot more interpersonal interactions, which is fun. In my opinion, it's useful to have siblings. They are always supportive if you need help and often understand you better than friends do, you can discuss a lot with them and have a lot of fun together.
So, most students think having a sibling has a lot of positive sides. You always have each other's back and you learn from each other's experiences. Now, for some international students, it’s hard to keep in touch with their family. Try to find something you both enjoy doing and make that one of your things. Decide upon a fixed day you both are available or create traditional days you can keep doing every year. Do activities together so that you create memories together. Then, you see each other regularly and keep your bond. See, having a sibling is not so bad after all.;)
