The most long-lasting and enduring relationship an individual can develop is with a sibling. Considering their closeness in age and early association, siblings can bond for a lifetime. Psychologists are beginning to appreciate the sibling link and its dynamic role in a child's social development. Beyond the mother-child dyad, sibling associations are now seen to determine cognitive faculties, emotional balance, self-sufficiency, and peer interaction.Clarifying the complex processes of these relationships and the benefits of parental involvement, Avidan Milevsky provides a foundational text for a growing area of study. Through personal narrative, theoretical examinations, and empirical data, he unravels the intricacies of sibling exchange and their function in overall family structure. He identifies the factors that make such bonds successful (or harmful) and the influence of parents in shaping these outcomes. He also evaluates the compensation of siblings in the absence of parent or friend support. Variables such as age, birth order, gender, and family size are tremendous considerations, and parents hoping to enhance the sibling bond gain immensely from understanding these predictors. Milevsky shows practitioners how to educate parents and help them apply their knowledge in practice. Particularly, he supplies crucial perspective on “deidentification” or conscious differentiation, in which parents can encourage different life paths to minimize sibling comparison and competition. A major tool for clinicians, social service providers, and educators, this book maps the next frontier in child development research.
