Is it normal for siblings to physically fight?

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asked Dec 15, 2021 in Family by whatsiteverwas (1,030 points)
Is it normal for siblings to physically fight?

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answered Dec 15, 2021 by Saltydogg (2,150 points)
It is normal for siblings to physically fight and sometimes siblings may fight and say they hate each other when in fact they actually still love each other.

However if the fighting between the siblings continues or gets worse then something needs done to stop it.

Sibling rivalry is a normal, and mostly harmless, part of growing up.

Siblings often compete without anyone getting hurt.

Sibling violence or abuse can be described as a repeated pattern of physical aggression with the intent to inflict harm and motivated by a need for power and control.

The age at which most siblings fight the most is between the ages of 10 to 15 years old.

Although the fighting between siblings can start earlier than that and some siblings fight around age 4 to 8 years old and continue to fight.

As children get older, the way they interact is likely to change.

While younger children tend to fight physically, older children are more likely to have verbal arguments.

Competitiveness between siblings typically peaks between ages 10 and 15.

However, sometimes sibling rivalry can continue on into adulthood.

A toxic sibling is a sibling that is highly judgemental and overly critical of you.

When you have a toxic sibling you may often feel as though you can't do anything right because your sibling will 'nitpick' and find 'flaws' in you.

Toxic sibling relationships can result if parents are unavailable, depressed, aggressive, narcissistic, or controlling. In the Golden Child and the Black Sheep Dynamic, one child is favored over the others.

The Black Sheep is the scapegoat of the family.

Tips to deal with a toxic sibling include.

Set limits and boundaries.
Figure out the workarounds.
Don't fight too hard for it.
Establish an emotional boundary.
Acknowledge your truth.
Label the behaviors (or your feelings), not the person.
Communicate openly if it feels safe.
Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries.

If your toxic family continues to disrespect you, to ignore your boundaries, and to gaslight you, you have every right to cut ties.

You do, in fact, have the right to do this at any time, but many people wait until they realize the full impact of staying in these relationships.

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