Brothers

[placebo]

When my brother and i was kids we constanly fought about something. I can't even remember how many times our father had to punish us cause one of us kicked other one.

Now, 9-10 years have pasted, we don't fight (at least not with fists). Actually we are so similiar, we have same movements, similiar voice. We are like copies.

Why do kids fight?

[Scorpio]

What's the standard reason, that you're competing for your parents' limited resources (love, attention, etc)?

Also, just having to live in close proximity to people causes fighting. Look at reality t.v. shows or roommates. Clashes are inevitable. And when you're really familiar with someone you drop the nice behavior that you put on for strangers. Often the fight has a pretext (e.g., they didn't do the dishes, they put their hand on your side of the car, they touched your toy) but they're really going at it because they're sick of each other.

Also, when you're a kid you're not the best at being mature, restraining your emotions, and whatnot.

[elainevdw]

My brother and I hated each other as kids. Physical fights, blackmail, you name it... But by the time we reached high school and went through some medical difficulties together, we grew really close. He means the world to me.

Perhaps it could all be chalked up to immaturity. For whatever reasons, you don't handle your relationship very well, but when it comes down to it, you eventually realize that you truly care for your siblings. And as you grow up and figure out how to have better relationships with others, you can have better relationships with each other, too.

Also, perhaps at a young age you're all vying for your own identities, and to do that, you try to separate yourself from your siblings. Then when you're older, you realize that you have to stick together -- against the world, against your parents, etc. And then when you're an adult, you realize that they're your living connection to your childhood, the only ones you've been in constant contact with your whole life.

On a side note, I read a study once showing that the younger sisters of teen mothers were less likely to become teen mothers themselves not because they learned anything from watching their sisters go through the experience, but because they simply wanted to be different from their older sisters. Interesting, isn't it?

[Colm OReilly]

Part of it is biological development. Knowing how to fight is an important survival skill. Look at all cubs and mammals, they fight amongst themselves. Of course, when you're so far removed from your natural habitatas humans are today it seems a lot worse than it really is.