Sister Sister
CLEO Singapore|May 2018

Having a sister is great… until it isn’t. With competition and rivalry a natural part of growing up with siblings, how does that change as you become adults?

Karen Fong
Sister Sister
When it comes to family planning, most parents want their children to have siblings. The traditional idea is that each child will have a ready playmate… and that there will be one more person to help look after the parents when they get old.

A 2004 study in Ohio also showed that nursery-age children with siblings get into fewer fights, made friends more quickly and kept said friends for longer. But having someone relatively close to you in terms of age can also be problematic. Says Jean Shashi, Director of Relationship Matters, “Intense competition between siblings can possibly lead to an individual’s over competitiveness, unhealthy levels of stress and maybe lower self-confidence.”

Interestingly, Jean notes that there are no conclusive studies that place sibling rivalry as the cause of such effects. “Instead, more attention has been given to the influence of a sibling or parents’ differential treatment on the development of an individual, rather than the direct impact of sibling rivalry.”

Jean notes that comparisons from parents can start as early as when the child is 18 months and last through adulthood. It manifests in many ways, “from who begins to walk first to who has better [grades in school], the biggest house, the most money, the best car, the best spouse, the most number of children and so on.”

Jean adds that a parent’s biased treatment or labelling of each child as the ‘academic’ one or ‘creative’ one can “lead to self-esteem issues or preconceived notions that limits a child’s abilities.”

Playing favourites

This story is from the May 2018 edition of CLEO Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 2018 edition of CLEO Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM CLEO SINGAPOREView All
Staying Clean
CLEO Singapore

Staying Clean

Go green! Here, find out about Lush’s non-stop mission for sustainability and reducing impacts on the environment.

time-read
2 mins  |
March - April 2020
#ASK Team CLEO
CLEO Singapore

#ASK Team CLEO

Add these to your cart ASAP, so that you get your skin sorted from A to Z.

time-read
1 min  |
March - April 2020
Pastel Goth
CLEO Singapore

Pastel Goth

Wanna stand out from the typical blush toned lipstick crowd?

time-read
1 min  |
March - April 2020
What Eco Beauty Means In The Biz
CLEO Singapore

What Eco Beauty Means In The Biz

This is just the vegan-ning. We break down what’s what, and why you need to be a convert for your skin’s sake.

time-read
2 mins  |
March - April 2020
Power To Your Flower
CLEO Singapore

Power To Your Flower

Skincare for down there? Believe there is — as we roadtested TWO L(I)PS products that were created for the skin in our bikini area.

time-read
2 mins  |
March - April 2020
Stephanie Poetri Talks Career And Life After Going Viral
CLEO Singapore

Stephanie Poetri Talks Career And Life After Going Viral

The internet can and will make you famous. Here's how Stephanie Poetri Made her hit song in just two hours.

time-read
3 mins  |
March - April 2020
CLEO Singapore

The Fame Game

With so many celeb beauty lines in the market (and underway), do we honestly need them all?

time-read
3 mins  |
March - April 2020
Try A Plant Based Cleanse So That You Know What You're In For
CLEO Singapore

Try A Plant Based Cleanse So That You Know What You're In For

Think you want to turn plant-based? #TeamCLEO took on a seven-day cleanse and this is how it went.

time-read
2 mins  |
March - April 2020
She's All That
CLEO Singapore

She's All That

To all the films we fell in love with! #TeamCLEO caught up with Lana Condor for the newest To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.

time-read
5 mins  |
March - April 2020
Women, Power!
CLEO Singapore

Women, Power!

Time to tune in to some empowered women characters. On your watch list: The Witcher and Sex Education which are both on Netflix.

time-read
6 mins  |
March - April 2020