Since the dawn of time, sibling rivalry has flourished in an ever changing world. When humans are going through their childhood and adolescence especially, they seem to develop all their life skills based around their interactions with their parents and siblings. Competition and disagreements are inevitable in this life, and how we learn to fight for ourselves is through our siblings. Although every sibling to ever exist has had at least the occasional disagreement or argument with their fellow siblings, these spats with siblings may serve a bigger purpose. 

Most perceive sibling rivalry as unhealthy and just plain stressful for everyone involved. Although it may cause a headache or two among family members, it has been proven to have been beneficial for a child’s development. When an older and younger sibling engage in an argument, the older sibling tends to show a higher level of emotion, meaning that the younger hears words having to do with a higher emotional developmental standard. By the time the younger sibling gets older, their emotional and communicational development is usually higher than that of the older sibling at the same age.

Rivalry between siblings also serves as a way for children to feel safe and secure. Arguments among siblings serve as a confirmation that no matter what, even through a huge argument, siblings will always have the others back in the real world. Siblings do not need to act civil 24/7 to automatically know how loved, cherished and protected they are by their siblings.