How Do Siblings Influence Children’s Sociability? – Being Parents

The bad reputation of the only child has led many parents to have several children so that the first does not fall into this stereotype.

Indeed, often we consider an only child as capricious, egocentric and too spoiled.

It is clear that this does not have to be. Thus, the behavior of the child depends on how his parents educated him.

Therefore, we can ask ourselves: how siblings can influence the degree of sociability of children?

Despite typical ideas about the difference between siblings and single children, family habits and patterns are changing. Prejudices are thus set aside.

Does having siblings increase the degree of sociability?

The environment in which the child grows up, especially during the first years of his life, has a very great influence on his future personality.

A healthy environment and an education based on love and care are the most important needs.

A child’s empathy, confidence, intellectual abilities and, in general, sociability, largely depend on what he experiences during his first 12 to 24 months of existence.

Of course, this goes hand in hand with support and closeness to his parents.

We have children later

Today, old morals no longer govern families, regardless of their form. On the contrary, couples prefer to put their career, their youth or travel before having children.

In practice, as couples enjoy more time without children, they delay the formation of a family. When both parents reach a certain age, they only want to devote themselves to raising one child.

For those who come from a home with siblings and for those who have them after a long time, the same difficulties arise in the social world.

In his social relationships, the only child tends to have better predispositions to work with the world around him. Indeed, he is obliged to do so by the absence of siblings. Conversely, in places where several children grow up, socialization often takes place within the family.

With or without siblings

The presence of siblings involves wonderful benefits and great challenges for the children. When asked whether more siblings influence the degree of sociability, the answer is no, not necessarily.

Nonetheless, a child with siblings will always have playmates at all times. In addition, he will receive less pressure from his parents, because it will be divided between siblings. At least during childhood, the presence of brothers and sisters animates the days.

As for him, the only child will have to fight in silence against loneliness. If he’s lucky, his parents won’t try to fill that void with lots of toys. They will give him quality love and attention.

Thus, his social, academic and work performance can greatly surpass that of a person who has to share his parents.

Providing your child with healthy social development, a warm, harmonious and balanced environment is the best recipe for him to develop relationships of the same quality.

With or without siblings, a child is always unique and deserves to be raised in a special way.

In conclusion, what prevents children from having a good degree of sociability with or without siblings is the example they have from those around them.

In turn, a child who sees his first needs met – within a sibling or not – will be happy and will be able to communicate healthily with his friends as with other generations.