All in the Family

siblings. They occupy a position of unique intimacy in our lives and cast a longer shadow than many recognize or are prepared to acknowledge. By turns enraging and lovable, familiar and mysterious, our brothers and sisters are the human beings who people our first social relationships. And a sibling relationship is the most enduring relationship many of us will ever have, less emotionally intense than the bonds we form with our spouses and our own children if only because they started when we were so young. Surprising new research by Dr Gene Brody found that having older children who do well in school and are well liked by other children leads to parental 'basking' - increasing mothers' self-esteem. It is clear that in turn this is associated with more positive parenting of younger children, who display fewer behavioural problems as a result. Conversely, parents who get a difficult first child may in turn experience a negative spiral of household tension.