Do siblings really need to get along as children to have healthy relationships as adults? We challenge one of parenting’s most deeply held assumptions: that sibling closeness is the ultimate goal.

We explain why sibling rivalry is developmentally normal and how fighting can actually be a sign of connection—not failure. Finally, we talk about what parents can influence—and what they can’t—when it comes to sibling bonds.

If your worried because your kids currently fight nonstop—or currently barely speak—this episode will help you reframe what’s normal, what’s healthy, and what truly matters in the long run.

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Our Fresh Take with Susan Dominus, author of THE FAMILY DYNAMIC
Our episode Sibling Rivalry
Our Fresh Take with Dawn Huebner on Sibling Rivalry (And What Parents Usually Do Wrong)
Kevin Henkes: JULIUS, THE BABY OF THE WORLD
Stephen P. Bank and Michael D. Kahn: ⁠THE SIBLING BOND
Rachel Nuwer for Scientific American: How Childhood Relationships Affect Your Adult Attachment Style, according to Large New Study
Keely A. Dugan et. al for The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: A prospective longitudinal study of the associations between childhood and adolescent interpersonal experiences and adult attachment orientations
Dr. Ammara Khalid for RIA Social Services: On Sibling Relationships: Attachment and Birth Order
Leijten, P. et. al for Journal of Family Psychotherapy: Parenting programs to improve sibling interactions: a meta-analysis.

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What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables.

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What Fresh Hell podcast, mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, sibling relationships, sibling rivalry, do siblings need to get along, sibling conflict, parenting siblings, raising siblings, siblings fighting, sibling bond, how to handle sibling rivalry, is sibling fighting normal, why siblings fight, how to help siblings get along, parenting tips for sibling conflict, sibling dynamics psychology, sibling relationship in adulthood, how siblings shape identity, family conflict parenting, should siblings be close, is it bad if siblings don’t get along, how to stop sibling fighting, what is normal sibling rivalry, kids arguing all the time, brothers and sisters fighting, parenting guilt siblings

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