Sibling Rivalry: When Competition Replaces Companionship

Sibling rivalry is often dismissed as a harmless part of growing up. Children quarrel over toys, attention, privileges and approval, and families tend to see these disputes as temporary storms that will pass with age. Sometimes they do.

But when comparison becomes a permanent feature of family life, rivalry can leave deep emotional scars that remain long after childhood has ended. Siblings are expected to share a bond unlike any other. They grow up under the same roof, experience the same family changes and often become one another’s earliest companions.

Yet this closeness can also create…