Poll: The real one :) How many siblings... are you close??

[Nakia]

I have one full brother, 3 years younger, that is one of my very best friends. We are more like twins; we just have a deep connection. I have a half brother that I am also very very close with. He is 10 years younger than I am and absolutely precious to me. He is coming home from Afghanistan for R&R next week, and I am so excited!!

 

I have a step-sister (she is 11 months younger than I am) that I was never close to until she had a baby last year. She has changed and matured so much since she became a mother, and we have really bonded. I also have step-brother (oldest of the 5 of us) whom I haven't seen in probably 5 or 6 years. It's sad, but I hardly remember him when I talk about my siblings.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

I am the oldest of 12 kids (all same mom and dad) but I only grew up with the next two after me, a sister and a brother. They were born 15 months apart, and everyone thought they were twins. They were always really close as kids, and I was always left out. During my high school years they pretty much hated me (I only deserved it a little bit.) It took until I had been out of the house for 4 years before my sister and I got to be no longer enemies. We can have nice chats now, as long as we avoid certain topics. My brother doesn't call, and wouldn't know anything about his nephews if my sister didn't make him call on their birthdays.

 

The other 9 kids, 8 brothers and a sister, ranging in age from 18 years to 2 years old, are all in different families either adopted or foster in another state. The oldest called me out of the blue the other day, and now we're e-mailing, which is wonderful.

[ChristusG]

I have two younger sisters....one is 4 years younger, the other is 13 years younger. We are pretty close. I'm probably closer and talk more to my sister that's 4 years younger since she's closest to my age. My sister that is 13 years younger is only 17 years old.

 

I'm at a different stage of life than both of my sisters though. I'm married, raising two kids, homeschooling, attending church, etc.

 

My 17 year old sister is, of course, being a teenager so we do not have too much in common.

 

My 26 year old sister is working part time, attending school full time to be a vet, no kids, not married, etc. We talk often though. Both still live with my parents just around the corner so we see each other a lot.

[LuvingLife]

I have 6 other siblings besides me. I am very close to my younger siblings, I see them all the time and am trying to spend as much time as I can with them before I have to head off to college. Even though it's two and a half years away, time flies! But even though I would play and hang out with my older brother a lot, we are by no means, close in our relationship. He has completely ruined his life now and I really don't want to be part of it. I hope for the best, and sort of hold out hope for him. He is a lost cause right now, but that doesn't mean he has to stay that way forever.

 

I am glad that I am closer to my other siblings though, so that's my story!:D

[laughing lioness]

I have one younger (3 years) sister still living. My older sister (1 year) passed away last year.

My younger sister is currently (I hope) a dry alcoholic. We are close when she wants a friend or someone to talk to.

My older sister and I were "close" in the sense that we were always available if one of us needed something. She fought MS for years and it really changed her personality so who she was and who she died as were quit different.

:sad: just thinking about it.

[Sahamamama]

1 older sister (less than two years apart)

 

Not very close, 3-4 perhaps.

 

We live in the same town, but all the streets to her house are one-way, dontcha know? :glare:

[Desert Rat]

I have one brother, 3 years younger. I answered 7-8 on the closeness scale. We used to be 10-we did everything together, had many friends in common, etc. When my dh came along, my dh slipped right into our friendship and everything was great. After 5 years of marriage, we started our family and that's when everything changed. A few years ago, we weren't even speaking, but we've gotten our relationship back a bit. I don't think it will ever be what it was though.

[nukeswife]

I have one brother that is 3 years 1 month younger than I am. We weren't very close until we got to be teenagers, now I'd say we're pretty close, 7-8 on your 10 point scale. He lives in the house we own back in WI, and talks to me regularly via facebook (he used to call more but he works 3rd shift now so facebook is easier)

[FaithManor]

I have two siblings. My brother is older by four years and the same age as DH. We've always been close but dh and he are super close. He's dh's best friend.

 

My sister is 14 years younger than I...a bit of a shocker surprise for my folks. As in my brother was 18, senior in high school, dating the woman he would marry (and have a child with within 18 months) and we get called into the living room for a family talk. I was usually NEVER in trouble, too much of a people pleaser, but my brother was occasionally impulsive so I figured I was just along for the entertainment of watching him squirm. Nope...sitting there on the couch were two adults who were apparently embarassed about something because mom was staring at the floor and dad's ears were red! "We've got an announcement to make. There's going to be an addition to the family."

 

My brother - "Really? A new dog?"

 

Dad - "No."

 

Then it sinks in....my brother, hoping for the best said, "You mean you are going to adopt???" (My mother had wanted to do that when we were much younger.)

 

Dad - "No. Your mother is expecting."

 

My brother - "YOU MEAN THE REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAL WAY???????"

 

Priceless moment in family history. It also explained what I had described to my friends as my mother's "terminal stomach flu."

 

So, I have this absolutely wonderful sister whom I dearly love and am very close to but from about the age of two until six, I thought I might consider selling to gypsies! She was a bit of a handful and when I brought dh home to meet my parents, went running around the living room singing, "I'm gonna marry your boyfriend! I'm gonna marry your boyfriend!"

 

She was the flower girl in our wedding and my brother's son was our ring bearer. So, it was especially funny when sis was about ten and it really dawned on her that she was "A's" aunt though she was only about 16 months older. They were playing together one day and we heard this conversation from the living room, "A, you must call me Auntie M because I am your aunt not your cousin!" "I'm not calling you my aunt. WE PLAY TOGETHER!"

 

That's our crazy little family.

 

Faith

[Peela]

I have one brother, 17 months younger than me.

He lives on the other side of Australia- he has 6 kids. I adore him. We were playmates growing up, then lived apart after our parents separated in our teens. I think somehow that not living together in our mid to late teens, and the fact that their divorce was hard for us, actually made us close somehow. We are both nature lovers, and both alternative health practitioners (he is a chiropractor).

 

However, even though I love him and I am sure he loves me, and we have an affinity, we do only see each other IRL every couple of years or so.

We love visiting his big family, though. So much fun- an ordered kind of chaos.

[LibraryLover]

I have 3 siblings and we are close (7-8 for 2, and 10 for another), although we have had some good arguments in our day. ;) We don't all have a ton in common, but we do have our childhoods in common, and that is enough. :)

Edited January 17, 2011 by LibraryLover

[Jean in Newcastle]

4 siblings. 3, I barely knew growing up because they were at boarding school and then left to come to the US when I was only 7 and 9. The 4th I knew quite well and was very close to. Now, I am closest to my eldest sister who I got to know when I was in my late 20's. I am also close to my eldest brother, who I also got to know in my 20's, and my youngest brother who has always been close to me. My other sister is friendly but we just don't have a whole lot in common.

[Desert Strawberry]

I have 2 brothers. i've had no contact with them for many years.

[elise1mds]

I have one younger sister. We aren't very close (I voted 3-4), but we're a lot closer now than when we were young. Back then, all I did was try to intimidate her; I gave her quite an inferiority complex. I should also add that I'm not particularly close to ANYONE in my family. I talk to my mom every week or two, my dad maybe once every couple of months (they're divorced), and my sister about once a month. It drives my in-laws crazy that I'm not very family-oriented outside of my own hubby and kids, but for most of my life, my friends were my family, and I haven't been able to break down the barriers to be close to anyone.

[Parrothead]

 

One sibling, not close geographically or emotionally.

 

 

[MrsBasil]

I have one sibling, a brother. I would say we're very close(7-8). We talk on the phone a couple times a week, visit each other 1-2 a year(we live in different states), and enjoy being around each other.

 

However, this was not the case when we were kids or teens. We became friends as adults and bonded. That bond was furthered by my pregnancy and a family situation where we needed to lean on someone who was going through the same thing.

 

We were raised with family being very important, but the message didn't sink in until later I guess. :)

[Carrie12345]

I was raised as the eldest of 3 (7 year age span). We were not particularly close growing up, but are pretty close as adults.

 

Our family grew through remarriages when I was in my teens and early 20's, making me the second of a total of 8. I'm about a 4-5 on the 1-10 scale with my (older) stepbrother. I don't really have a relationship with the others, more due to circumstance than choice.

[knit247]

I voted that I had 1 sibling and 5+ siblings :001_unsure:

 

I am adopted and grew up with a brother two years younger than I. We get along just fine, but are not close.

 

When I was 31 my biological mother found me. She had one more child after me - a sister. We are nothing alike, but we do like each other and get along well. We are not, however, "close".

 

Through my biological mother I met my biological father. He had five more children through two marriages: one son and four daughters. I met the son once. I think he's in jail somewhere now ;). And the others have zero interest in meeting me (nor I them).

 

Probably not too helpful, but there ya' go!

 

ETA: Depending on who is asking (believe me, this is important), I will say that I have one or two siblings. My brother that I grew up with is my brother. Period. But I do count my biological mother's daughter as my sister.

Edited January 16, 2011 by FindingLaurie
clarification

[Hannah]

I was raised as the eldest of 3. My sisters both live overseas. With one I Skype or msn just about daily and with the other, its weekly. We've been lucky to have seen each other once every 18 months on average over the last 16 years. We are all very close.

 

My mom died when I was 18 and I left home when my father remarried. My step-mom has 3 children and my parents fostered her niece (who was an orphan at 12) also. The steps and I are on each other's facebook and we'll talk at family gatherings, but aren't close at all. My youngest sister was 13 when my father remarried and my step-brothers were 14yo and 17yo, so they lived together for a few years. She is close to both of them.

Edited January 16, 2011 by Hannah
Clarity

[Night Elf]

I can't answer as you had no 0 siblings and I have none.

 

Why would you answer a poll or comment on a thread about whether or not you're close to your siblings if you don't have any siblings at all? :confused: I would think that a strange option to put on the poll unless the questions is "Do you have siblings? Are you close to them?"

[Mimm]

I have one sister and four brothers who live in the same town as me. Two of my brothers rent the house behind me. I just realized I didn't talk to my sister at all yesterday or Friday and that feels weird. But she's seeing a new guy so she talks to me less. :p I still see her a couple times a week and talk to her most days. People drop in here unannounced all the time. They hang out, eat my food, come to ask advice, play with my kids and dogs, steal my books, borrow my car and use my stamps (no one seems capable of buying their own stamps). I wouldn't have it any other way. I love having my family close and my husband and I have discussed moving away, but don't want to give up living near family. His parents are in the area as well, and we see them often.

 

I have two sisters who are under 18 and still live with my mom in Texas. I don't know what they'll do when they are grown up but I know living in this area is appealing to my youngest sister because so many of us are here. I have another brother who is almost 19 that I am not close to. We talk every now and then and it's friendly, but his life is a mess and he won't get it back on track.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I have 3 sisters and 3 brothers. I'm very close with 1 sister, pretty close with the other two, and not very close to my brothers.

[ocelotmom]

I have one brother, 3.5 years younger than me. I chose 5 - we get along great (haven't fought since I left for college :)), and keep in basic touch via facebook and stuff, but have very different lives and little contact beyond that.

[Paula in PA]

I have 3 living siblings, all sisters and older than me, and 2 deceased, my brother and a sister who died long before I was born. My brother and I were fairly close and I miss him terribly. Of my living sibs, I'm not all that close to the oldest (14 year age difference), somewhat close to the middle (still tends to treat me like a kid :glare:), and very close to the younger (she lives with us, but that's been the case far before that).

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I have two sisters. One older by 2 years, one younger by 3 years. We are very, very close, as well as with our mom.

 

Speaking of which (whom?), my older sister visited your CC campus last month. :)

[OnTheBrink]

Variables... gonna see how I can do this :)

 

With families having as many kids as they can... or only having one or two... how it works out for most families... after their kids are grown...

 

Of course, I'm sure that it's easy to think that we're raising our children differently... and they'll all wanna be best buds.... But, I'm thinking... If you have kids... forever... and never get to "drink in" their cuteness... because you're thinking of having the next... Course... perhaps.... that's my bias... and I know... Each one is precious... and there's not one that you would "send back".

 

Just curious.... My brother and I... well... we're not close.... I love him... but just nothing in common except for parents ;(

 

My brother is 9 years younger than I am, and he's my mother's puppet, so no, we're not close. At all.

[Angjune]

I have two older brothers. My mom was an only child so raised us to all be close and look out for one another. In fact, the brothers are only 15 months apart and were always close -shared similar friends and usually hung out together. My one bro got married around 40 to a very possessive woman and basically stopped contact with my parents, my brother, me and my family. Its sad because we were very close and I never thought anything would come between us. I'm still very close with my other brother and my parents (I talk with my mom several times a day)

[Hannah C.]

I'm the oldest of nine. They range in age from two to nineteen years younger than me. I voted 5 as an average for how close I am to them. When we were children, I was very close to the three right after me and especially to the one closest in age to me. I was also fairly close to the younger ones when they were babies. Then I started public school and grew away from them.

 

Now I'm not especially close to any of the younger ones, as I'm married and don't live at home, and we don't have much in common. So even when the whole family gets together, I don't spend that much time interacting directly with them. It's really age-specific, I think.

 

I've noticed that as the older ones get to their mid to late teens, they're a lot of fun to hang out with (as opposed to their early teens, when they were annoying :P). I've been very very glad that I have an excuse to be friends with these people. If I wasn't related to them, I don't know if I would be friends with them, because we wouldn't necessarily have "clicked" or had a reason to talk to each other. Since we're related, I have a reason to talk to them, and I really appreciate their personalities, including how very different we are. At the same time, they are some of my favorite people to hang out with because we share history -- so we have some jokes that no one besides us would ever understand!! :) I think as the younger ones get older, the same thing will happen. Whenever my family gets together we all end up laughing and having a really awesome time. That won't change. :)