9 Things You Didn't Know About Siblings

Do you want to discover some of the things you surely didn't know about siblings? You're sure to be surprised by this article. Keep reading!

Written and verified by the psychologist Mara Amor López.

Last update: 15 June, 2023

Surely, if you have siblings or are the mother of more than one child, you know about the games, fights, complicities, and love between them. But, there are still things you didn’t know about siblings. In this article, we’re going to some surprises.

The relationship established between siblings is special and unique. It’s a union and complicity that’s different from the rest of the bonds we have with other relatives. But it also has certain peculiarities. Perhaps you’ll discover some things that you hadn’t realized, so, if you want to know more about this topic, don’t miss this post. Keep reading and find out all about it.

Interesting things you didn’t know about siblings

There’s no denying that the relationship between siblings is very special. It’s a bond with a complicity that you don’t get with other people. Here are some interesting things about it.

1. They spend more time together than with other people

11-year-olds spend 33% of their free time with their siblings. As they get older and have different obligations and interests, they tend to share a minimum of 10 hours a week with them.

2. Younger siblings tend to be more extroverted

Younger siblings, in addition to being more extroverted, are greater risk-takers than older siblings. Some of the explanations for this fact may be that, being the youngest in the house, they’re more accustomed to talking and dealing with more people to get their attention, especially if they have large families.

3. They tend to have completely different personalities

We can find siblings with a striking physical resemblance, but in terms of personality, they tend to be very different. This happens even if they share the same parents and the same upbringing.

4. They can share bad habits and customs

It doesn’t have to be this way in all cases, but often, when the older sibling has a bad habit, such as smoking, it’s very possible that the younger one will follow in their footsteps. This happens especially when the age difference between the siblings is very wide, but not when they’re almost the same age.

5. They have moments of fights and arguments

Children have a tendency to fight, but when it comes to siblings, even more so, as they spend more time together. For example, friction, arguments, and fights when they both want the same toy are very frequent.

6. Older siblings tend to be more intelligent

Although there’s still some debate about this aspect, there does seem to be a slight difference in intelligence between older and younger siblings. This may be because older siblings spend time teaching younger siblings. In this way, their learning and understanding of concepts is reinforced.

Another possible explanation is that the older siblings had the opportunity to have their parents devote exclusive attention to them before the younger one was born and they had to share it.

7. Children who have siblings mature later than those who are only children

This happens because, when they’re only children, their relationships and interactions are mostly with adults. Therefore, their toys are only for them. However, when you have siblings, you spend more time playing and fighting with each other, so maturity and leaving the infant stage are usually delayed.

8. Having a sibling of the opposite sex helps to relate better with the other sex

When you have siblings of the opposite sex, it’s easier to initiate and maintain a conversation with people of the other sex. Therefore, men with sisters find it easier to initiate a conversation with girls than those who only have brothers. Likewise, women with brothers have less difficulty relating to and initiating a conversation with boys than women who only have sisters.

9. Younger siblings tend to have fewer allergies and be healthier

This may be because when a younger sibling arrives, there are already enough germs at home thanks to the older ones. Therefore, they help strengthen the little one’s immune system, so they tend to catch fewer illnesses than the older sibling could catch at the same age.

About things you didn’t know about siblings

Well, now you know some interesting facts about siblings that you may find useful. If you’re a mom of two or more little ones or if you have siblings yourself, you may have found some answers to certain questions. We hope you found this article interesting and that it solved some of the questions you may have had about this unique and special relationship.