Everything's Good for Something: This Makes Fighting with Siblings Useful

If you haven't fought with your siblings over who gets to play Super Mario next, who gets the better candy, and who was more diligent, then you don't know what real fighting is. And you lost an opportunity to become an (even) better person. Yes, that's what science says.

The one children, who grew up in the last century, remember that fighting over the console was a common sight in most homes. Of course, time has brought many changes - today children are debated for many other reasons, kwe didn't know them either. But the reasons are not even as important as the fact that you fought and fought.

In the study Sibling rivalry and brotherly love scientists have discovered that sibling rivalry (in a healthy way!) beneficial for the mental and emotional development of children and development of all important social skills.

Fighting with siblings can have positive effects.

In a five-year research project titled Toddlers Up they studied cognitive and social development 140 children, aged between two and six years. As part of the study, they performed many tests such as video observations of children, who interacted with their parents, siblings, friends and strangers; participation in interviews and questionnaires with parents, teachers and children; and assessment of different children's abilities.

During the five-year study, many tests were performed.

They found they could siblings are a positive influence on the child's development even when they are arguing. Researcher Claire Hughes she wrote that constant competition between siblings can affect development behavioral problems in later years, but lighter forms of rivalry can benefit the child's development.

The more siblings argue and fight, the more they develop their communication skills.

The more brothers and sisters contradict and argue, they develop their communication skills more. Arguing also affects emotions - more than siblings fight, they learn more about controlling their emotions and how they can influence the emotions of other people.

Children learn how to manage their emotions.

Hughes adds that it is unhealthy rivalry can be very negative. Violence is a clear sign that it will a child challenged others as well children, so parents they must pay attention to the behavior of their offspring.

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