Hw 56

Interviews:

Q: Are you the oldest, middle , or youngest child in you family? How does that make you feel?:
Aiesha: I'm the middle child , It feels cool because I don't have to get jealous of who comes after me or who came before me.
Michelle: Middle, It feels like I can turn to an older or wiser person rather than a younger one.
Jamie: Middle,it doesn't make me feel any particular way...it is what it is.

Q: Do you feel like you have to compete with your siblings? If so, for what?
A: No, I don't have to compete with my siblings, I'm confident in my self.
M: Yes! With my older sibling I had to compete with him for toys and stuff and with my younger sibling I have to compete with for attention because I feel like the middle child and the oldest child get the most attention.
J: No, because I still get everything I want. If anything it would be in academics.

Q: Do you ever wish you were an only child? Why?
A: Yea because the only child gets all of the stuff but if I was the only child I'd be lonely and wouldn't have any fun.
M: No because then I'd be the center of attention and wouldn't be able to get away with stuff. It would also be pretty boring.
J:Yes! I just wish I didn't have a younger sister because she's so annoying.

Q: Which sibling are you closest with?
A : My sister because I can tell her anything and I trust her.
M: It used to be my older brother but since he moved out it is now my younger brother.
J: My older brother and I are because we are the closest in age, only 2 years apart.

Q: How often do you get into arguments with your siblings and over what?
A: I usually get into arguments with them a majority of the time either over clothes or when they start to irritate me and joke around too much.
M: A lot ! probably like three times a day especially with my little brother. We give each other the silent treatment. Over the most stupid things. I just get annoyed with him.
J: Everyday ,over everything.

Q: Do you ever feel like your parents favor one of your siblings over you? How does that make you feel?
A: Well not really...now that I'm older it doesn't really bother me but I think they favor my older brother because that was their first child, it's always like that. I think mothers always favor their first child.
M: Maybe my little brother. I sometimes feel he gets too spoiled. I feel like they love us differently in a good way.
J: No, I think I'm the favorite or at least my dad's favorite.

Q: How would you describe the relationship you have with your siblings?
A: Chaotic because they just act really crazy.
M: My relationship with my little brother is more nurturing and I try to be a good role model. My relationship with my older brother is more balanced. We help each other out depending on the situation.
J: It's different with each one. You know my relationships with different people are different.

Q: Do you go to your sibling for advice?
A: Um sometimes, it depends. If it's something really serious then yea. If it has to do with our parents. Like if I did something and I need help on how to tell my parents about it. I'll go to them for advice on it.
M: Yes when I'm in deep shit and I don't want to go my parents I turn to my older brother for help because he's been through a lot more.
J: No, because I don't think they are that much wiser than me. If anything I would go to them to vent.

Q: Would you say that your siblings have an effect on who you are? If so,in what
ways?
A: Yes in all types of ways like when I'm angry, when I need help, when I'm sad. They make me the way I am. I know for a fact that without them I wouldn't be who I am today. My personality wouldn't be the same. My life would also be dull.
M: Yes my brother influences me in my taste of music and maybe a few other things but I feel like I'm m own person. I hate it when my parents compare me to them. I'm trying to create my own path.
J: Yes! They influence my moods. They affect how I treat other people.

Q: What do you feel is the role you play in your family?
A: The honest and straight forward one. I keep it real with all of my family members. I don't hold anything back.
M: The good and responsible daughter. Which can be a pretty heavy role to live up to at times.
J: The Child... being the needy one because I always want something.

Q: Do you help your siblings out when they're in trouble with your parents or do you just let them face them alone?
A: (Laughs) I help them out but it also depends on what the situation is. But I do try to stick up for them mainly my younger siblings.
M: It depends... If they've got me into trouble before I use it as revenge. I let them face the fire alone.
J: yea I let them face them alone, laugh and put in my two cents against them because people don't get into trouble a lot in my house unless they deserve it.

Q: Do you get your siblings into trouble with your parents? How does that make you feel?
A: Oh yea I do , good because I just get them back for getting me into trouble.
M: Yea, it depends sometimes I feel like a jerk other times I laugh. I get good attention while they get bad attention.
J: If they did something to me yea... I do it all the time. I find it hilarious then I'm in a good mood. Like they deserved it.

Q: Do you ever get jealous of the amount of attention your parents show to another sibling?
A: Yes I do because sometimes I don't feel like they deserve it.
M: Sometimes especially if it's about good grades and I'm not doing so hot.... but I also don't mind them having the spotlight on them.
J: No I don't because I get a lot of attention.

Q: Who comes first - siblings or friends?
A: Siblings because at the end of the day they're all I have.
M: Siblings because they are blood. I have a completely different relationship with my siblings than I do with my friends. My relationships are different with certain people, it all depends...
J: I think friends are chosen siblings. I don't really know of any situations where I'd have to choose one over the other.


The interviews lead me to believe that siblings do have an effect on our personalities and they way we act. I also believe that a relationship with a sibling is one of the strongest relationships out there. It can be good or bad but at the end of the day they are one of the closest people to us, who we can turn to in need. Siblings are an important part of our lives and no matter how much we wished they didn't exist sometimes , life without them would be boring.
The interviews also showed that children do care about the approval and attention of their parents. They want their parents to notice them and show that they care. But they often find themselves competing with their siblings or others in the family for that special recognition. But this may not be true for some children who can do without the spotlight on them. Sibling rivalry is a common part of family life. Whether it's getting into fights with them or getting them in trouble. A relationships with siblings are different for everyone because every family is different we just have to learn how to deal with them.
These interviews also suggested that the "middle child syndrome" I researched isn't true for everyone. I interviewed only middle children to see if it would be true for them but it turns out it isn't. They don't really feel like their parents pay more attention to the oldest or younger sibling compared to them. If anything they feel like they get more attention than the youngest child. So birth order does seem to matter when it comes to the amount of attention a child gets from their parents. The middle child also seems to have a good relationship with the older sibling rather than the younger one.

Survey Question: Do your siblings influence your identity?