Having a sister makes you HEALTHIER and NICER! Scientists prove it.
Studies from the Journal of Family Psychology have conclusive proof...
By Frances Sheen
April 01 2019
If you have a sister, or a few sisters in your life, think yourself lucky!
According to research from Brigham Young University, they make you a healthier, well-rounded and generally better person in life.
“They help you develop social skills, like communication, compromise and negotiation,” says Alex Jensen, assistant professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University and the author of research into sibling relationships. “Even sibling conflict, if it is minor, can promote healthy development.”
But that's not all...
A 2010 study published in the Journal of Family Psychology from Brigham Young University showed having a sister can boost your mental health and your self-esteem.
The study spoke to 395 families with more than one child.
The researchers gathered a wealth of information about each family’s dynamic, then followed up one year later.
Statistics show that a sister protected them from feeling lonely, unloved, guilty, self-conscious and fearful. It didn’t matter whether the sister was younger or older, or how far apart the siblings were age-wise.
“What we know suggests that sisters play a role in promoting positive mental health,” Alex Jensen added, “and later in life they often do more to keep families in contact with one another after the parents pass.”
The very same Brigham Young University study discovered that having a sister can help you become a kinder, more giving person.
That’s because sisters often show love and affection to each other.
"Even if there is a little bit of fighting, as long as they have affection, the positive will win out," lead study author Laura Padilla-Walker, a professor in BYU’s School of Family Life, said. "If siblings get in a fight, they have to regulate emotions. That's an important skill to learn for later in life."
Plus, in addition to ALL of that, a 2009 survey conducted by British psychologists revealed that people raised with at least one sister were more determined and more independent than those who grew up with just brothers.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Tony Cassidy from the University of Ulster said, “It is about that intrinsic desire to want to do better every time, to strive towards goals. It certainly seems there is something about the family situation with the number of girls in it that leads to more encouragement to achieve and be independent.”
So there you have it! You have a sister, you're all set for whatever life throws at you. Unless, of course she borrows your favourite top or steals your make-up - then, we're not so sure!
