is natural to be envious of a brother or sister who seems to get all the attention” (Cohen, 75-76). Feelings of jealousy and favoritism can stand in the way of close sibling relationships (76). For siblings to love each other, they have to feel that they are loved equally by their parents. Otherwise there is deep resentment on the part of the one who feels less loved, and gloating on the part of the favored one. Siblings then feel ill at ease with each other and quarrels are apt to erupt at the slightest provocation (13). Sometime in the early years siblings have to accept the impossibility of obtaining the exclusive love of a parent. A parent may feel more love for one child than for another, but there is always some degree of love bestowed on each sibling (5). “As siblings realize and accept this, their hostility eases and they are able to acknowledge that each of them will be loved for his or her own qualities and achievements. They do not need to live in constant anger, feeling unloved” (5-6). Every child possesses the wish to be the favorite, the biggest and the best, but a sibling always threatens this wish (31). “No matter how kind, considerate, warm, and loving parents are, siblings will fight for the parents love” (32). Each child has Biagetti 3struggled for a place in the family at one time. Whether it is a struggle to be heard or seen, or to be understood, we are asking someone else to look away from all others and see us (Cohen, 18). “To recognize us for the moment and to give us a pat on the back. In larger families there are many to compete with, while in small families there is no competition” (19).Problems between siblings arise with the aspect of birth order. ”If you’re the oldest, your parent learned how to parent on you. You’re the first to experience everything, including discipline” (Bode, 49). The first-born child is disciplined more harshly then an...
