What Makes Sisterhood Special

From fighting over books and clothes to being each other’s pillars of strength, sisters share a unique bond. Radhika Sathe-Patwardhan explores what makes this relationship special

- ​Radhika Sathe-Patwardhan

There’s no denying that sisters play an integral role in a person’s life. This bond forms early during childhood, and it doesn’t matter if you got along like a house on fire or fought tooth and nail with each other; you can’t think of a life without them. “It was a love-hate relationship growing up. I despised the fact that I had to share everything with her—chocolates, gifts, and even parental attention and love—back then,” recalls Bengaluru-based homemaker, Avani Saraf, as she discusses her relationship with sister, Sneha Saraf. “But whenever we had any disagreement with parents or friends, we stuck together; it used to be us versus them,” she explains.

According to Laurie Kramer, a professor of applied family studies at University of Illinois, Chicago, siblings function as ‘agents of socialisation’. “Parents are better at teaching the social niceties of more formal settings. But siblings are better role models of the more informal behaviours like how to act at school or on the street, or, how to act cool around friends that constitute the bulk of a child’s everyday experiences. A positive relationship with siblings is related to a host of better outcomes for teenagers and adults,” she elaborates. Is it any wonder that this special bond is to be cherished? We bring you a few reasons.

Not Mincing Words