The sibling relationship is a natural laboratory for young children to learn about their
world. It is a safe and secure place to learn how to interact with others who are interesting
and engaging playmates, learn how to manage disagreements in constructive ways, and
learn to regulate both positive and negative emotions in socially acceptable ways. There
are many opportunities for young children to develop an understanding of social relations
with family members who may be close and loving at times and nasty and aggressive at
other times. Further, there are many opportunities to use your cognitive skills to convince
others of your point of view, teach or imitate the actions of your sibling. The positive
benefits of establishing warm and positive sibling relationships may last a lifetime,
whereas more difficult early relationships may be associated with poor developmental
outcomes. The task for young siblings is to find the balance between the positive and
negative aspects of their interactions as both children develop over time.