Anna and I watched this rescue operation by an older sister restraining her brother from slipping into water. The parents were engaged in talking to their friends, when this happened. They were relieved to have avoided a disaster and profusely complimented their daughter for her presence of mind.
When I started training in child health for my profession in the mid seventies, there was lot of discussion about the older sisters substituting as mothers, to care for younger siblings, while the mother went to work outside the home to get an extra income. This meant that older children, especially girl children could not go to school and had to accept domestic responsibilities early in life.
Later, using this role model of older children caring for younger children, Professor David Morely, Institute of Child Health, London, introduced CHILD-To-child programme in the African continent, to promote better childhood nutritional, educational and developmental outcome, by training older children, to be better mother substitutes.
There are many social and economic advantages in having more than one child in a family.
But what are the emotional advantages of having siblings in a home?
Firstly, childhood is a period of interactive learning and communication, for which siblings contribute immensely. Secondly, early in life, children learn to play, relate, adjust, care, and fight with siblings, to discover their identity and space. The ambience of siblings is the ideal setting for these experiences to unfold. Thirdly, all children require companionship and intimacy at all seasons in life extending up to adolescent and even beyond. It is through the experience of companionship, young children learn to trust, share and give in. They are formative influences in early childhood. Fourthly, there is an interdependence, children learn as siblings. There is respect and regard, give and take, and fight an make up, which children learn from siblings which will stay in good stead through life. Fifthly, parenting is easier, as siblings learn to care for each other, freeing parents to focus on investing their time for their children's diverse interests, as the basic needs of love, belonging, identity, etc. are taken care of by the siblings.
To all parents, who are healthy enough to have children, let me encourage you to have more than one biological child. The school of siblings, is the ideal setting for holistic childhood formation.
I grew up as a single child and have been a student of family dynamics, where there are siblings.
But what are the emotional advantages of having siblings in a home?
Firstly, childhood is a period of interactive learning and communication, for which siblings contribute immensely. Secondly, early in life, children learn to play, relate, adjust, care, and fight with siblings, to discover their identity and space. The ambience of siblings is the ideal setting for these experiences to unfold. Thirdly, all children require companionship and intimacy at all seasons in life extending up to adolescent and even beyond. It is through the experience of companionship, young children learn to trust, share and give in. They are formative influences in early childhood. Fourthly, there is an interdependence, children learn as siblings. There is respect and regard, give and take, and fight an make up, which children learn from siblings which will stay in good stead through life. Fifthly, parenting is easier, as siblings learn to care for each other, freeing parents to focus on investing their time for their children's diverse interests, as the basic needs of love, belonging, identity, etc. are taken care of by the siblings.
To all parents, who are healthy enough to have children, let me encourage you to have more than one biological child. The school of siblings, is the ideal setting for holistic childhood formation.
I grew up as a single child and have been a student of family dynamics, where there are siblings.
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