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Sibling Relationships 203
Even if your relationship with your brother/sister isn’t always great, it’s
important to realize that having a sibling enhances your life. This relationship
provides you with great opportunities to learn about yourself and how to get
along with someone close to your own age. If you’re a guy who’s got a sister or
if you’re a girl who’s got a brother, you already know a lot about relating to
guys/girls as friends. This is valuable information that will be useful throughout
your life.
Although sibling relationships can be difficult (or seemingly impossible) at
times, they create a special kind of closeness and understanding that you just
can’t find anywhere else. After all, you and your siblings are growing up in the
same family! Who else in the world can totallyunderstand when you’re com-
plaining about problems with your parents? And who else is available in the
middle of the night or on family vacations when you need someone to talk to?
When you consider all the positive aspects of the sibling relationship, it’s much
easier to forget about the jealousy and competition, and focus on enjoying each
other instead.
My sister always gets the guys I like
Hey Terra,
My sister always gets all the guys I like. She’s prettier than me, so they usually fall for her.
What should I do?
Ugly Duckling
Dear Ugly Duckling,
If guys are falling for your sister, and she’s not doing anything to encourage them, there’s not
a lot she can do about it except tell the guys that she isn’t interested. On the other hand, if
your sister is deliberately going after guys that she knows you like, she may be trying to prove
that she’s “better” than you.
Jealousy can really damage a sibling relationship. Maybe your sister is envious of you,
which is why she’s trying to prove something or hurt you in some way. Perhaps she wants you