POLL: Your siblings now and then: close or not?

[ChandlerMom]

Curious how much our past sibling relationships control their future. If you have more than one sibling, to answer in terms of "in general" or the ones closest to you.

 

Feel free to post WHY you think that is. 'Tis the season! :)

Edited November 27, 2011 by ChandlerMom

[NicAnn]

I said not close now or then. But my siblings are 10 years apart, and have Aspergers....so it's not like we had the oppourtunity to get too close. I also moved 2 states away right after high school, while they were still in grade school.

[mommaduck]

Need an OTHER:

 

The ones I grew up with, I'm not close to.

The ones I didn't grow up with, I'm very close to.

My step sister and I are supportive of each other, but not close and don't really know one another. She is close to the siblings I'm close to.

My halves of my halves are close to each other, not close to any of the rest of us, including our mutual halves, but we are all supportive of one another.

 

Anyone confuddled yet?

[Daisy]

My sister and I fought like cats and dogs. She was emotionally exhausting when we were kids. She lives 3,000 miles away. We are not as close as SHE would like. I'm ambivalent.

 

My bother and I got along okay. He is five years younger though so I was gone by the time he was 12yo. He lives 2,000 miles away from me and 1,000 miles away from our sister. We have our own lives and don't really work at being "close."

 

The siblings and I talk on the phone probably 4x a year, email about that often, and they are Facebook friends with my husband. I send them Christmas money & birthday cards. I don't know. I guess I don't really view us as being all that close but we don't dislike each other. There's no drama. We just don't know each other that well considering we've lived thousands of miles apart from each other for the last 20+ years.

 

And it would probably break my mother's heart if she read this post. She is far more concerned about it than any of the siblings are.

[Nakia]

I have two brothers, one who is 3 years younger and one who is 10 years younger. The one closest to my age is one of my best friends. We talk every day; I can't imagine life without him. We used to fight a lot, but we were always close. I have always "mothered" our baby brother. I adore him, but in a different way than my other brother. I don't think I'll ever have the same kind of relationship with him, and that's okay. :001_smile:

[OnTheBrink]

My brother is 9 years younger. My parents purposely waited that long so I could be old enough to babysit. :001_rolleyes: I grew up being abused physically and emotionally; my brother was the golden child. So, no; we're not close and never have been.

[Janie Grace]

I chose close then, not now. Kids of divorced parents, I was her stand-in mom when my mom was emotionally unavailable (ie, always). Not close now due to radically different beliefs and lifestyles. But I still love her very much.

 

This poll makes me sad. I dream of my kids being close friends, but I guess statistically, that's not likely. :(

[m0mmaBuck]

We were/are close. It relationships have changed through our adulthood but we've always been close in spite of our age differences. There are 6 of us.... 60, 58, 55, 52, 42, and 39...

[QueenCat]

Close until we were in high school... followed by about 15 years of not being close. Very close now. Nothing dramatic occurred to change it stage, just life.

[Denise in Florida]

My sister and I have definiately gotten closer as we have gotten older.

 

We were never big sibling rivals or anything, we were just each focused on our own friends growing up. Now, we talk at least every other day (we do not live close to each other) and travel to see each other a couple of times a year.

[Splinter]

I have four siblings, sisters 6 years older and 4 years younger and brothers 2 years older and 2 years younger. I was always really close with both of my brothers and still am. I was never close with either of my sisters when we were young - the older one was a moody teenager and then moved out when I was 11 and the younger one was an annoying tag-along. Now, my older sister is probably my best friend (she lives two houses away) and I get along well with my younger sister and talk to her all the time, even though she lives in South Africa.

[myfatherslily]

Somewhere in between, I guess. My brother and I have always cared about each other. But we fought a lot. The best thing that happened was that I moved 1,000 miles away. Now we rarely see each other and, as a result, we don't get on each others nerves (much)! I wouldn't say we're close, but I will vote that way because we aren't distant.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I need 4 different answers - one for each sibling!

 

Siblings 1, 2 and 3 were at boarding school from before I was born. I only saw them every 3 months for vacation and during the summers. Siblings 1 and 2 left the country when I was 7 years old and I didn't start to re-establish relationships with them until I was in college. Now we are close. My eldest sister and I are very good friends and talk weekly or more. My eldest brother and I talk less often but we understand each other very well.

 

Sibling 3 apparently hated me as a child. She told me this when I tried to re-establish a relationship with her when I was in college. We know talk once a year when I force myself to call her to wish her a Merry Christmas. We are polite but have really nothing in common at this point.

 

Sibling 4 and I were close growing up because he lived at home with me for part of my elementary years and I spent my first year at boarding school with him. Our relationship just continued once I left for college. But we really don't have a lot in common other than a love for books. So whenever we get together or talk on the phone it sounds like a book club!

[Melissa in Australia]

other~ I have 7 siblings,

I am very close to 2 ~ 1 I have been close to all my life and one who is 11 years younger than me and I hardly knew as I was growing up.

all but 1 of the rest I get along fine with

1 I have never got on with , when we were young or now

[Grover]

We weren't close as kids - I'd like to be closer now but it just hasn't happened. I thought when we had kids it might bring us closer but my mother made sure that didn't happen and I've pretty much given up trying aside form birthdays and holidays now.

[akmommy]

I have three older brothers who are seven, five, and four years older than me. The oldest and I have never really been close and at times growing up we were very much at odds with each other. He bullied me quite a bit and honestly I think he just resented my existence. As adults we are friendly, but I don't think I could ever trust him enough to be close to him. Just too much water under the bridge. IYKWIM

 

My middle brother, youngest, and I were pretty close when we were we little, but my middle had some issues and ended up in state custody at twelve. As an adult his life is still pretty unstable and that makes it tough.

 

My youngest brother and I were fairly close into adult hood, but he married someone I don't really care for (she reminds me a LOT of our mother who I love, but she can also be difficult to like) and has become difficult to get along with.

 

So currently I can't really say I'm close to any of them, but I do know we love each other and would do what ever we could to help one another if needed.

[Tap]

( My parents were both married once before, then they got married. I am the baby of all the kids. My father had 3 kids that I really don't know. My mother had 4, met my father and they had me. I was raised with my mother's children)

 

I think our logistics caused most of the trouble. There are some major personality differences too, but location and age has always be the biggest factor.

 

My siblings were all born within 5 years of eachother.....then 6 years later I was born. My mom was 16 when my oldest sister was born, she was an active parent for the older kids. My mom was 30yo when I was born, my father 42. By the time I was a teenager....they were burnt out, and we clearly had established a 'don't ask, don't tell' relationship for my partying.

 

My father came into the house when they were all under 10yo, but I was the only child from both parents. My siblings, always made sure I knew I wasn't one of them. On top of that, I am thin framed, light complected, blond, blue eyed....they are all heavier, dark haired, dark skinned, dark eyed. Our biological differences are very, very obvious and my differences were pointed out often, buy well meaning strangers. ie "where did she come from?"

 

My siblings were raised with a large family, sharing bedrooms, in a large house. By the time I was 10yo, I was the last one home and we lived in a camp trailer, traveling the USA.

Edited November 27, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap

[chepyl]

We were best friends until we started school and were separated all day. We went through a period in Jr high when we did not get along....then I moved to college and we got much closer.

[Night Elf]

Not close then or now. I have 1 sister who is 6 years older than me. She was the first grandchild on both sides and therefore NOT happy when I came along. She just never liked me. We don't speak to one another really, but not on purpose. We live separate lives. We never grew close at all. I really consider her a sister in name only. There is no sisterly companionship type of stuff going on at all.

[Dolphin]

Very close, we have a family blog, talk on the phone all the time, dh sometimes thinks we are too close. 4 of us still live locally, and we all get together at least every other week. I just got back from Laser Tag with mom, siblings, cousins etc....

 

Our whole extended family is close, just the way it has always been.

[gardenmom5]

not close then, even worse now. very dysfunctional family dynamics.

 

My own children have a blast together, and it gives me much joy to behold.

[Rosie_0801]

My sister and I had to share a room. We didn't like each other then, nor do we now, really, but we have a system.

 

My brother and I were not close as children. He is six years younger and Mum inadvertently discouraged it. Now we're best buddies :)

 

Rosie

[Pamela H in Texas]

Goodness, I don't even think I can explain my answer. I had siblings I was close to as a child. I don't have a relationship with any of them really. I see my brothers maybe once a year. I haven't seen my closest sister since she was 5 months pregnant with her oldest who is a teenager now. It's been over a decade since I saw the younger two sisters. It has crossed my mind to try to restart a relationship with my siblings; but I guess I figure they have their own lives and I don't know that they would be interested. Of course, what is the worst that could happen if I reached out? They could reject me? Would it really matter at this point?

 

Anyway, there is a lot of backstory to all of this of course. Some is mine to own. Some isn't.

Edited November 27, 2011 by 2J5M9K

[Farrar]

The poll seems to suggest there is no strong correlation.

 

My brother is 6 years younger. I helped raise him when my mother went back to school. We were very close when we were kids but we're not close now for a lot of reasons. I would like to be, but we've made really different choices with our lives and that has made it difficult.

[delaney]

This is such a sad topic. Over 60% say not then and not now? Why is that? I don't want my family to be like that!!! I really think my brothers are the biggest asshats to walk the earth. They drink hard liquor almost everyday. Who does that? They are both just yuck. We have nothing in common and I have not spoken to one of them in over 2 years and it really doesn't bother me. I have a much younger sister(15 years) that I like....but she is a spoiled brat who whines about her tough life and a real shrew when it comes to relationships, yet wonders why she is still single at 27.

Okay, rant over. How do we stop this from becoming what my kids are like as adults? My DH and his brothers are close. Sigh:confused:

[higginszoo]

Hmm, not sure how to answer.

 

I'm not close to my siblings in terms of 'we talk every day, know everything going in in each other's lives'. We're spread out (Austin, Knoxville, Miami), but grew up Navy, so we don't have a physical sense of home. But we are of the 'drop everything to help each other out' variety of close, even if we only talk a couple of times a year and might only see each other every couple of years. We get along fine when we're together, and enjoy each other's company.

Growing up, my youngest brother and I were pretty close, considering the 8 year difference. The one who is 3 years younger and I fought more, but since we moved a lot (sometimes every 15 - 18 mo), we were sometimes each other's only friend until we got settled and made new friends.

Edited November 27, 2011 by higginszoo

[QuirkyKapers]

Younger brother:

Close growing up, not close now. However, we do talk occassionaly so it isn't that there isn't any contact. I actually end up talking more with his wife than him.

 

Older brother:

Not close than, not close now.

[MissKNG]

I wasn't close to my brother and sister growing up because of the age difference - teenagers didn't have much in common with a sister 8-10 years younger! Now, we all are married and have families so we have a lot in common, thus bringing us closer.

[elegantlion]

One sister 2 years older, never got along, still don't. We played together when forced and usually diluted by a couple of guy friends in the neighborhood.

 

My sister is arrogant, thinks she is better than everyone else in the family, has an ego, and disrespects my parents. She moved away for college and we all lead separate lives. I do hope she is happy with her life, but we're like oil and water.

 

We have no semblance of a "loving sibling relationship".

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I need an OTHER Button LOL....didn't really know I had older siblings till I was around 7-8 (they are all 10+yrs or older than I am)....so I didn't have any that I was "close" to when I was a kid---but after my mom died,an older sister took me in and raised me with her family so she's like my 2nd mom....and I"m close to 2 older sisters.....have 2 brothers and another sister that I'm not super-close to but they are still my family.....

[DawnM]

I don't have siblings, but DH does. He was closer to them growing up and not close at all now. They view him as a bit of an outcast......he married me for one! :D And then he is a Christian (a fanatical one who goes to church and reads his Bible!), and the whole homeschooling thing just set them over the edge.

 

EVERY SINGLE time we are there they make comments about how they certainly would never (subject their kids to) homeschool because they are so popular in their schools and love their friends and their parties and they are SO smart.......which of course means that my kids are unpopular, never go to parties or have friends, and cannot be smart! :confused:

 

It is very hard to be around them.

 

Dawn

[Desert Rat]

We were close as kids. It was just the 2 of us. We are close now. Not as close as we once were (like best friends), but still very close. He takes care of my parents 3 blocks away. We see each other daily. I don't agree with life choices he has made and he thinks I'm too uptight. That's why we aren't super duper close anymore.

[ChandlerMom]

The poll seems to suggest there is no strong correlation.

 

 

Well, self-reporting is never totally scientific, but there are some interesting correlations so far. If the current numbers held true (and my quick math is correct):

 

If you were close as kids, you are 36% more likely to still be close than not.

 

If you were not close, you are 2 and a half time as likely to STILL not be close (or only a 29% chance you'll become close, versus a 58% if you started close).

 

So, even if starting close is no guarantee, you have a little better than equal chance of still being close. If you don't start close, it is unlikely (less than 30%) that you'll ever be close.

 

Again, that is all assuming the numbers hold true (don't change and are representative of families as a whole) which is a HUGE assumption. But still interesting. :D

 

BTW, I didn't offer "other" (considered "it's complicated") because I suspect MOST sibling relationships would end up as "other". :)

Edited November 27, 2011 by ChandlerMom

[MariannNOVA]

well, at least I am in the majority -- not close then, not close now.

[SKL]

I have to say, I don't see how most siblings could say "not close then." I mean, we tend to remember the fights, but on a day to day basis, weren't most of us with our siblings a lot and didn't most of us figure out how to do fun or at least successful things together? Didn't we check on each other subconsciously all the time and bristle if someone outside the family started up against our siblings (whom we might have insulted directly just that morning)?

 

If you'd asked me when I was young, I would have said I was not close to my sister, because we didn't have great chemistry together. But in reality, we were very close; we just got on each other's nerves with some frequency. Shoot, we slept in the same bed until I was 13.

 

I could see it if there were a big age difference or kids grew up in different households due to broken families. But otherwise, I'm skeptical.

 

My answer would be, we were close then (but didn't see it that way then), and we're close now (less so due to obvious logistical constraints).

[FaithManor]

My sister was born 13 years after I and so I had a hand in raising her. We've been close always and particularly now in adulthood. My brother is four years older and we've been pretty close from the beginning. My parents were very family oriented and pursued an agenda at home that meant we were thrown into together A LOT and expected to love one another. My brother has always been my personal protector.

 

It's really funny too because when I met DH and brought him home for the first time my brother's response was, "I like this one. I approve of him." He said this in the most serious tone, deadpan face, stern eye contact, etc. He was WORSE than my dad. Of course, I was not one to feel that my father, much less my brother, needed to approve of the men in my love life once I'd reached the age of majority and no longer lived at home, so I was REALLY annoyed. But, that is just how db felt. He figured that whomever I ended up with would be his own brother and he felt he had a major stake on that claim! :lol: My assumption is that "normal" brothers do not give two hoots who their sisters date. At least, my friends' brothers all appeared to be too pre-occupied with their own lives to care.

 

I am still close with db and that is hard. He married a not very nice woman who is running him into the ground. Literally, she spending him into the poor house and he is working a 60 hr. per week job and another 30 hr. a week job trying to bring in enough to keep their heads above water. All she does is trash talk him and demand more money. So, it is not easy to maintain the relationship because it's really difficult for me to be around her. But, she's recently taken to NEVER being home and since they live two blocks away, I'm now finding it easier to see db without her. Yay! (Oops, did I say that outloud?)

 

Faith

[Jilly]

I need 4 different answers - one for each sibling!

 

This is me. My oldest brother and I were not close as kids, and we are not close now.

 

My next brother and I were very close as kids, but we are not that close now.

 

My third brother and I were not especially close as kids, but we are close now.

 

My younger brother and I were very close as kids, and we are very close now.

 

I really think that personality factors into these relationships. I just get along better with two of my brothers because we click with each other and have a good deal in common.

[LostSurprise]

I'd love to see a correlation between age spacing and this.

 

I answered close then, close now, but its (obviously) more complicated then that.

 

None of us call much. We're not phone people, but get us all home and we stand around talking forever in the kitchen and playing cards or Rock Band together.

 

Brother1 and I are a year apart. We were like twins. He has issues he doesn't want to talk about so we don't ever talk about personal things. Because of that I don't think we're as close as we were, but we still really, really hit it off and have great, vague conversations.

 

Sis (2 years younger) and I shared a room for our entire youths. I liked her but she had a really sharp mouth so I never completely trusted her. We really get along now because we're both raising kids, she's more confident (less snarky), and I finally understand that her personality is one that needs to constantly give to people. You can't really accept that as a big sister when you're little. I like having a sister that wants to spoil me. :D

 

Brother2 is 6 years younger. He really grew up when I was gone. I like him a lot and always have. We have a great time when we keep things impersonal. He's also very private though.

 

Each one of my siblings is completely and totally awesome. I wish we lived closer together. I want them all to move up here. Then I want all of MIL's family (so great) to join us in the commune.

[DawnM]

I will add that DH has commented that if his mother were to die he would see no reason to keep in contact with his siblings.

 

Dawn

[Denise in Florida]

I have to say, I don't see how most siblings could say "not close then." I mean, we tend to remember the fights, but on a day to day basis, weren't most of us with our siblings a lot and didn't most of us figure out how to do fun or at least successful things together? Didn't we check on each other subconsciously all the time and bristle if someone outside the family started up against our siblings (whom we might have insulted directly just that morning)?

 

If you'd asked me when I was young, I would have said I was not close to my sister, because we didn't have great chemistry together. But in reality, we were very close; we just got on each other's nerves with some frequency. Shoot, we slept in the same bed until I was 13.

 

I could see it if there were a big age difference or kids grew up in different households due to broken families. But otherwise, I'm skeptical.

 

My answer would be, we were close then (but didn't see it that way then), and we're close now (less so due to obvious logistical constraints).

 

I think, for me, a truer statement would be that my sister and I are 'more close' now then we were are children. So I picked this not close, now close option.

 

My sis and I did not fight, we simply moved in different spheres. She was a flag girl and went to football games, I was a 4Her and went to horse events. We did not share our interests, we did not share a room. We were both busy teens and often did not even see each other.

 

I think my mom realized that we needed to be closer when we were adults and she fostered the relationship. My sister and her family used to live in the same home town as my parents. After a while when I would come home for visits my mom would have me stay with my sister instead of her. My sister and I had tons more in common as moms of little girls (she homeschooled for awhile).

 

My mom is gone now, but my sister and I stay in close contact. It is good to know there is another human on the planet who will have your back because they are 'family'. :001_smile:

[Susan in TN]

I have to say, I don't see how most siblings could say "not close then." I mean, we tend to remember the fights, but on a day to day basis, weren't most of us with our siblings a lot and didn't most of us figure out how to do fun or at least successful things together? Didn't we check on each other subconsciously all the time and bristle if someone outside the family started up against our siblings (whom we might have insulted directly just that morning)?

 

If you'd asked me when I was young, I would have said I was not close to my sister, because we didn't have great chemistry together. But in reality, we were very close; we just got on each other's nerves with some frequency. Shoot, we slept in the same bed until I was 13.

 

I could see it if there were a big age difference or kids grew up in different households due to broken families. But otherwise, I'm skeptical.

 

My answer would be, we were close then (but didn't see it that way then), and we're close now (less so due to obvious logistical constraints).

 

When I think of being "close" I think of friendship - with lots of ups and downs, of course. That wasn't the case with my older sister and younger brother. I was mostly annoying to my older sister and I generally just tried to stay out of her way. I was much older than my little brother and maybe played with him when he was little, but I moved away to college when he was 11yo, and we'd never developed a "friendship" as such.

 

For many years, my siblings and their families lived near my parents, while I've always lived half-way across the country. Going home for the holidays was always very difficult and lonely for me, because I was always the odd-man out - and that's pretty much how I felt growing up.

[ChandlerMom]

I have to say, I don't see how most siblings could say "not close then." I mean, we tend to remember the fights, but on a day to day basis, weren't most of us with our siblings a lot and didn't most of us figure out how to do fun or at least successful things together? Didn't we check on each other subconsciously all the time and bristle if someone outside the family started up against our siblings (whom we might have insulted directly just that morning)?

 

I think this is an interesting question because I think some parents (like mine) think that just being together is enough to foster closeness. Clearly it's not. But when you think of it, you actually spent more contact time with your classmates in ps than with your siblings at home, and I doubt you felt "close" to all your classmates. Working parents spend more time with their coworkers than their spouses or kids, so there is something about the quality of time together rather than just quantity that fosters closeness.

[Negin]

Hmmm ... the results of this poll, although, of course, it's by no means scientific ;), seem to indicate that having one child is the ideal scenario :confused:. I've felt for years that smaller families are closer (2 children are less). I could be wrong. Just my observation. I have noticed that in families with 3 or more, the dynamics change. Again, just my personal observation ...

[Jean in Newcastle]

Hmmm ... the results of this poll, although, of course, it's by no means scientific ;), seem to indicate that having one child is the ideal scenario :confused:. I've felt for years that smaller families are closer (2 children are less). I could be wrong. Just my observation. I have noticed that in families with 3 or more, the dynamics change. Again, just my personal observation ...

 

I don't read the poll that way. Over 50% of people have had some closeness with siblings at some time in their lives. Around 40% of those people have had that closeness as adults. I think it's a good thing.

[catz]

I don't read the poll that way. Over 50% of people have had some closeness with siblings at some time in their lives. Around 40% of those people have had that closeness as adults. I think it's a good thing.

 

:iagree: I don't think parents have children should assume they're creating life long friends when they have siblings for their kids though. We are going through some of this with my parents right now. I do not enjoy my brother's family. We only get together with them to make my parents happy. My parents just gave me a huge guilt trip about this. I can't make myself happy with their choices and how they've treated me and my kids over the past 5 or 6 years. My parents who are guilt tripping me over this are not at all close to their own siblings, so I don't see that it necessarily should be a shock that my brother and I aren't close. We were almost best friends through college age though, so maybe that makes it more disappointing. It was a painful transition for a while, but I'm over it. Evidently my parents aren't.

 

My kid are "buddies" now. I think the adult piece has so much to do with genders, spouses, geography, how their values and personalities shake out as adults. Maybe if I had a sister rather than a brother, maybe there would be more opportunities to be closer? Or if I had a SIL that could be a friend? There are no guarantees IMHO.

[BrookValley.]

The poll is totally bumming me out. Me and DH are seriously considering having a second child, and while we're not going to have a second just for the benefit of our first, it is a part of the equation (e.g., the possibility that our son would be at least somewhat close to a sibling and for support as adults with aging parents). I know that sometimes siblings just don't get along and there's no way to predict or change that, but I would like to think that there's at least a decent chance that the two would at least ocassionally enjoy each other's company and get along well as adults.

 

I really don't want to be one of those parents that stresses and meddles in their adult kid's lives over the state of the sibling's relationship. Like my MIL. :tongue_smilie:My husband has a sister, a few years younger than him, and they've always gotten along well. I wouldn't necessarily describe them as very close--they don't talk every day, for example--but they do enjoy hanging out when they get together. I could see them working well together when their parents are older, as issues related to taking care of elderly parents arise. But for some reason, my MIL is hyperactive over every little detail of their relationship and is always looking for something wrong. She's also always injecting herself into situations and fussing with ways to bring them closer (like freaking out if everyone doesn't hug when saying goodbye at the end of a family gathering). It's weird. My husband & sister just laugh at her. They have a perfectly fine relationship, and they know it!

[danybug]

I picked not close then or now. My sister is 10 years older than me. She pretty much hated me when we were growing up. She has been very jealous of me my whole life. Once we had kids I worked really hard at trying to forge a bond with her. Unfortunately, she just has to many hangups with the family all stemming from the same jealousy. It is sad, but apparently she does not feel the same.

 

I wish I had a sibling I could maintain a close loving relationship with.

[MHowell]

Shoot I need an other option!

 

 

I have 4 siblings, all half or step. I have been close to the second oldest my entire life. I am the baby, and he is 12 years older than I am. he coached my softball team, went to ALL of my soccer games (even though I'd just stand around and pick flowers), and went to every school function I remember. I am closer to him than I am my Mom, and we have a GREAT relationship.

 

The others weren't around much so it was hard to be close to them, though there was never any doubt we all loved each other. I love them all, but I only talk to the rest around the holidays and such.

[MinivanMom]

I was very close to my siblings growing up. We grew up in a very neglectful situation and we were a support system to each other. As the oldest, I was in the "mom" role. We are still close, but there was a transition where I had to "let them go" so to speak. I often feel like an empty-nester in that way and joke that I'm raising my second family now.

 

I'm always sad when people tell me that they were close to their siblings as kids and aren't close now. My dh is in that situation. He was very close to his siblings growing up, but it's very distant and strained now. He's the one putting forth all the effort. His situation is unique, though, because his parents are very controlling and have used divide-and-conquer techniques over the years to pit dh and his siblings against each other. It was their way of trying to manipulate and control their kids as they grew older, but it just destroyed their extended family.

Edited December 2, 2011 by MinivanMom

[WeeBeaks]

I didn't vote as I have only half-siblings and we didn't grow up in the same house. Not a typical situation. We weren't close then and not really close now but I keep in contact distantly, about the same distance as I keep in contact with my biological parents, again not a close relationship.

 

I don't dislike them though, no emotional ties at all.