National Siblings Day

In 1995 Claudia Evart lost both her brother and sister at an early age.  She founded the day because she realized how important siblings are in your life.  She has also founded the Siblings Day Foundation.

Your siblings can have a profound effect on your life, even more so than your parents.  

This came recently from a study of male adult development from data gathered since 1938.  Dr. Richard Waldinger wrote a book called The Good Life.

If you read this book his findings show that  those of us with “good relationships keep us happier, healthier, and help us live longer.”

Other studies shine a light on the positive effects of siblings:

• As an adolescent, your siblings may have validated your beliefs and feelings which helped your self esteem.

• A good sibling relationship can have positive effects on your academic performance.

• If you are in a difficult situation like divorce, low income or parental mental illness a stable older sibling can help you to be well adjusted even in these settings.

• Finally, support and closeness with siblings lead to less loneliness and depression.  These could also help you feel overall satisfied with your life as you age.

Additionally, some other studies have found evidence that lifelong relationships with siblings have an effect on your well-being in a negative way too.  Participants with difficult sibling relationships at ages 18-19 can be more likely to have depression and to use mood-altering drugs by age 50.

Think back to the days of growing up with brothers and sisters.  You surely had fights, large or small but there were likely also times when you played games or shared toys.  Many lifelong lessons were learned.

Private Home Health Care hopes that on this National Siblings Day you will find the time to reach out and tell your siblings how much you care.  As adults, your ties can remain strong and you can get great supports and have fun times with your siblings.