Children's Sibling Relationships Research Articles

Parenting of siblings in Latinx families during middle childhood.

Parents' management of their children's sibling relationships, or sibling-focused parenting, has substantial theoretical and practical importance but is rarely studied. This study's goals were to describe dimensions of sibling-focused parenting and to examine sociocultural resources and challenges as potential correlates among Latinx mothers and fathers in 262 families with two children in middle childhood. Families were recruited from 11 public elementary schools, and caregivers (248 mother figures; 118 father figures) participated in a home visit and phone interviews at the onset of the study. Sibling-focused parenting included three dimensions: positive guidance (10 items), nonintervention (four items), and authoritarian control (five items). Parents rated positive guidance as their most frequent strategy, and comparisons of mothers and fathers from the same families revealed that mothers engaged in more sibling-focused parenting overall than fathers. Regarding correlates, mothers' familism values and mothers' and fathers' family cohesion reports were associated with more positive guidance and mothers' cohesion was negatively related to nonintervention in sibling conflicts. For mothers only, parenting stress was linked to all three dimensions of sibling-focused parenting-negatively to guidance and positively to authoritarian control and nonintervention; maternal depressive symptoms were positively linked to authoritarian control. Economic hardship was not a significant correlate of any dimension. Findings suggest that sibling-focused parenting is a key domain of parenting in need of further research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Spanish validation of the Parental Expectations and Perceptions of Children's Sibling Relationships Questionnaire

AbstractObjectiveTo translate and culturally adapt the Parental Expectations and Perceptions of Children's Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (PEPC‐SRQ; Kramer & Baron, 1995) into Spanish and test its psychometric properties.BackgroundSibling relationships contribute significantly to child development; however, to date, no study has validated an instrument to assess the quality of children's sibling relationships with Spanish samples.MethodWe conducted two studies. In Study 1, the instrument underwent translation and back‐translation along with the inspection of semantic, linguistic, and contextual equivalence. In Study 2, the validity of the instrument scores was assessed by administering the translated PEPC‐SRQ to 229 mothers in Spain.ResultsThe Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a two‐factor structure that preserved the original 24 items. Both factors presented good internal consistency and were significantly correlated with other constructs.ConclusionThese results support the use of the PEPC‐SRQ in Spain.ImplicationsThe Spanish PEPC‐SRQ may now be used as a tool for the early detection of conflictual relationships between siblings and as a tool for assessing the effectiveness of targeted strategies designed to bolster children's sibling relationships. Additionally, this adaptation provides the opportunity to carry out cross‐cultural studies.

1.2 APPROACHES TO SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE PARENT MANAGEMENT BEYOND THE IDENTIFIED PATIENT

The siblings of children with significant externalizing behaviors can be recipients of bullying and harm from their distressed sibling. Child and adolescent psychiatrists support the child in various ways in the office, but it is difficult to identify ways to support parents in mitigating distress in the home toward the other siblings. Common parenting and sibling tensions and conflicts in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic will be highlighted. Larry Mitnaul, MD, will briefly review the literature on the role of siblings in the development of externalizing behaviors during childhood and adolescence. Dr. Mitnaul will survey the family, parent-led, and sibling-focused interventions that are evidence-based that can be applied to a family system that has at least 1 child with externalizing behaviors. Dr. Mitnaul will discuss practical strategies and resources to diffuse tension and optimize healthier interactions between siblings, which the audience can then utilize with children and their families in diverse clinical settings. Participants will gain ideas for better identifying sibling negativity, coercive sibling interactions, and collusions that are associated with a conduct problem. Participants will improve their knowledge and gain practical therapeutic techniques to help patients and their families in the understanding and management of sibling dynamics, as well as parenting skills. Child and adolescent psychiatrists support siblings of children with externalizing behaviors. Attendees will be more informed regarding the literature on sibling relationships of children with these behaviors. Attendees will have a greater understanding of the strategies, resources, and practical skills to support siblings of children with externalizing behaviors and their families.

Sibling relationships of children and adolescents with mental disorders-Resource or risk factor?

Sibling relationships wherein at least one sibling suffers from a mental disorder have seldom been studied. The few existing studies found that children with mental disorders reported high levels of disputes within sibling relationships as well as less parental support and admiration. The aim of the present study was to examine the quality of sibling relationships in children and adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis (clinical sample [CS]) as compared to an age and gender matched healthy control group (HC). One hundred fifty-six children and adolescents (nCS = 78/nHC = 78) between 8 and 18 years of age were recruited. The CS consisted of patients recruited from the daycare facility and inpatient unit of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin. HC was matched by gender, sibling position, and age. Quality of sibling relationships was examined using the German version of the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ-deu, self-report). Additionally, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL 4-18) was implemented in the CS to enable a classification into externalizing, internalizing, and combined disorders. The CS sample reported a warmer sibling relationship compared to the HC sample. Conflict within the sibling relationship differed significantly between participants with internalizing, externalizing, and combined disorders. Relevance of sibling relationships as a possible resource for children and adolescents with a mental illness is discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Integrating Parents' Views on Sibling Relationships to Tailor an Evidence-based Parenting Intervention for Sibling Conflict.

Parents play a crucial role in the development of their children's relationships with their siblings. Despite this, relatively few evidence-based parenting programs exist that specifically offer parents the strategies and techniques they desire and require for managing their children's sibling relationships. One way of bridging this gap is to design a tailored parenting intervention for sibling relationships that incorporates the parent voice in various aspects of program design. The current study recruited a convenience sample of 409 Australian parents to complete an online survey relating to their views on difficult sibling behaviors and what, if any, help they desire in dealing with the issue. The majority of respondents were Caucasian, middle- to upper-class mothers. Respondents predominantly attributed the causes of sibling conflict to their child's internal traits, but expressed strong desire for assistance with managing behavioral problems, especially when sibling relationships were marked by physical aggression. Respondents reported high levels of acceptability for positive, rather than punitive, parenting strategies and showed a clear preference for parenting interventions delivered in easy-to-access formats. The findings are interpreted in the context of guiding the development of a tailored parenting intervention for enhancing sibling relationships and reducing conflict.

Fostering parents' emotion regulation through a sibling-focused experimental intervention.

In this study, we assessed whether an intervention designed to improve children's sibling relationships, the More Fun with Sisters and Brothers program (MFWSB), may also help parents manage their emotions more effectively. Families with at least 2 children between the ages of 4 and 8 years were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 50) or wait-list control (n = 34) group. Parents completed pre- and posttest questionnaires on sibling warmth and agonism, their emotion regulation during sibling conflict, and their global emotion regulation styles. Program participation had a direct effect on 3 of the 4 emotion regulation outcomes for mothers. Mothers in the intervention versus control group reported lower levels of dysregulation and suppression and higher levels of reappraisal at posttest, controlling for pretest regulation scores. Additionally, path models examining posttest responses showed that participation in MFWSB led to lower levels of maternal and paternal negative reactivity in the sibling context via lower levels of sibling agonism, controlling for pretest levels of negative reactivity. Alternate path models, with parents' emotion regulation as mechanisms linking MFWSB and sibling relationship quality, were tested but not supported. Results highlight the value of a sibling-focused intervention for promoting parents' abilities to regulate their emotions.

Aggression between siblings: Associations with the home environment and peer bullying.

Sibling aggression is a common form of intra-familial aggression, yet has been largely neglected by research. Using an inclusive measure of sibling aggression, this study investigated, firstly, prevalence of sibling aggression and associations with family and household characteristics, and secondly, the relationship between sibling aggression and peer bullying. Participants were 4,237 adolescents from Wave 1 of Understanding Society. Four types of sibling aggression were measured: physical, verbal, stealing and teasing, and combined into composite measures of victimization and perpetration. Regression analysis identified associations with demographic characteristics, family and sibling composition, parent-child relationships and socioeconomic status and explored the link between sibling aggression and involvement in peer bullying. Using a broad definition, sibling aggression was found to be widespread, with 46% of all participants being victimized and 36% perpetrating aggression. Household and family characteristics, including a large family size, male siblings, and financial difficulties were associated with greater rates of sibling aggression. Parenting behavior showed the strongest relationship: harsh parenting increased the risk of sibling aggression while positive parenting protected against it. Sibling aggression was also homotypically related to involvement in peer bullying. Victimization by siblings significantly increased the odds of being a victim of peer bullying, and perpetrators of sibling aggression were more likely to be both peer bullies and bully-victims. Considering the adverse effects of sibling aggression on physical and mental health, the study provides pointers for efforts to reduce the risk of sibling aggression. Furthermore, the link with peer bullying suggests that school anti-bullying efforts should also take account of children's sibling relationships. Aggr. Behav. 41:14-24, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sibling Relationships of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Context of Everyday Life and a Strength-Based Program

This research examined mothers’ and sisters’ perceptions of sibling relationships in families with a brother with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the context of a strengths-based, family-focused 3D technology program designed for youth on the spectrum. Seven sisters and six mothers participated in semi-structured interviews, which were coded for emergent themes. Both similarities and differences between sisters’ and mothers’ perceptions of the sibling relationship emerged from the narratives. Sisters and mothers framed the sibling relationship differently within the context of everyday life activities compared to the context of their brother’s involvement in the technology program that highlighted his skills and abilities. Within the context of everyday life, sisters described the dual nature of their relationships, involving both positive and negative qualities, whereas mothers focused on the challenges in the sibling relationship. Both mothers and sisters identified the “sister” role in the sibling relationship as that of a nurturer. Within the context of the technology program, mothers and sisters both perceived the boys’ roles as shifting positively relative to the context of everyday life. Sisters spoke of a sense of pride in their brother’s accomplishments in 3D design, whereas mothers spoke about their children being more engaged with one another because of their shared interests in the program. We discuss implications for interventions with families with a child with ASD.

The Effects of Sibling Relationships on Social Adjustment Among Japanese Twins Compared With Singletons

This study examined the link between sibling relationships and children's social adjustment by comparing twin siblings and siblings with different ages (singleton siblings}, and clarified the role of reciprocity in sibling relationships on children's social development. Mothers of 58 monozygotic twin pairs, 48 dizygotic twin pairs, and 86 singleton sibling pairs reported their children's sibling relationships and social adjustment.This study showed that the effects of sibling relationships on the prosocial behaviors and conduct problems of each child are stronger for twins than for singleton siblings. Moreover, positivity toward one's sibling increased peer problems only among monozygotic twins. The opposite tendency was present among dizygotic twins and singleton siblings. This study suggests the importance for children's social development of having many interactions with siblings and establishing reciprocity in sibling relationships. Moreover, our results suggest that the quality of sibling relationships among monozygotic twins may be different from those among dizygotic twins and singleton siblings.

Young children’s sibling relationship quality: distal and proximal correlates

Relationships within families are interdependent and related to distal environmental factors. Low socioeconomic status (SES) and high household chaos (distal factors) have been linked to less positive marital and parent-child relationships, but have not yet been examined with regard to young children's sibling relationships. The present study tested direct associations between these distal factors and sibling relationship quality, as well as examining parenting as a potential mediator and/or moderator. One hundred and eighteen families with children aged 4 to 8 years were interviewed and completed questionnaires during home visits. Children provided reports about the quality of their sibling relationships via a puppet interview, and mothers and fathers reported on household chaos and their exertion of harsh discipline. Researchers rated parental warmth towards the children. Finally, parental education and household density were assessed as indicators of SES. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), we found that lower levels of household chaos were related to better quality sibling relationships, and that this link was mediated by maternal warmth and paternal harsh discipline, as well as moderated by maternal harsh discipline. Household chaos was more strongly linked to relationship quality between family members than SES, warranting further research and practical application. The study of children's sibling relationships should take into account inter-relations between proximal and distal environmental factors to fully reveal the complexity of family life.

Child Temperaments, Differential Parenting, and the Sibling Relationships of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study examined associations between sibling temperaments, differential parenting, and the quality of the relationships between 50 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their typically developing siblings. The temperament dimension of persistence, but not activity level or emotional intensity, was found to relate to the quality of the sibling relationship. Effects were stronger for temperaments of the typically developing siblings, but persistence levels of both groups of children interacted to predict sibling relationship quality. Persistence also was the temperament dimension associated with differential parenting, with increased levels of differential parenting occurring when siblings, and to some degree the children with ASD, were low in persistence. When siblings were dissatisfied with differential parenting, quality of the sibling relationship was compromised.

Clinical research: a psychotherapeutic assessment model for siblings in care

This paper focuses on the aspects of a qualitative research project that examines an assessment protocol for the placement of siblings in foster care and/or future adoption. A brief description of the background to the study and the research design is given. Evaluating the material from the quantitative instruments used and the psychotherapeutic assessments, the author identified two predominant themes. The first, cumulative trauma, pointed to the pervasive nature of the children's early experiences, as manifest through their presentation and play. The second, relatedness and belonging, highlighted aspects of the children's shared memories and experiences. Clinical vignettes are used to illustrate the way in which these themes related to the children's sibling relationships. The author reflects on the methodology used that allowed the complexity of the issues being studied to ‘come to life’. The study noted the tendency for those caring for or working with the children to underestimate the children's meaning to each other and emphasised the importance of assessing the children's perspectives where decisions are being made in childcare cases. Further questions were raised as to whether more could be done to mediate or facilitate sibling relationships for children who have suffered early deprivation or abuse, and the need for further research into this area of work was proposed.

Temperament and the Quality of Best Friendships: Effect of Same-Sex Sibling Relationships*

Temperament and the Quality of Best Friendships: Effect of Same-Sex Sibling Relationships* The authors examined whether early adolescents' sibling relationships ameliorate the effects of a difficult temperament on best friendships, exploring whether qualities of early adolescents' sibling relationships would moderate the link between temperamental difficulties and best friendship quality. Data were collected at two points. At first collection, parents provided temperament ratings for 73 laterborn siblings (M = 7 years). Five years later, adolescents provided information about support and discord present in their best friendships and older siblings provided information about the warmth and conflict in their same-sex sibling dyads. The hypothesized moderating effect of the sibling relationship was found only for early adolescent girls. Support and discord in girls' best friendships was negatively and positively predicted, respectively, by level of temperamental difficulty only when relationships with their older sisters were lower in warmth or higher in conflict. Implications for understanding and improving early adolescents' closest friendships are discussed. Key Words: adolescents, friendship, sibling relationships, temperament. Children's and adolescents' temperaments can dramatically impact the experiences they will likely have growing up (Buss & Plomin, 1984; Chess & Thomas, 1986; Rothbart & Bates, 1998). For example, children with intense or difficult temperaments often are rejected by their peers (Bates, Bayles, Bennett, Ridge, & Brown, 1991; Eisenberg, Fabes, Bernzweig, Karbon, Poulin & Hanish, 1993). The extent to which this outcome can be avoided has not been fully established. Characteristics of children's and adolescents' social contexts may ameliorate the effects of their intense temperaments on their social relationships. Parents and family practitioners striving to help children and adolescents with intense temperaments to form more positive peer relationships may overlook resources available to them that can assistance in promoting better peer experiences. One potentially important resource is children's and adolescents' sibling relationships. As a result of their unique relationships, siblings may serve as a useful buffer against the negative consequences that a difficult temperament can have for early adolescents' friendships. Although several studies have considered the link between children's and adolescents' sibling and peer relationships (Stocker & Dunn, 1990; Updegraff & Obeidallah, 1999), few studies have considered the possible ameliorating effects of siblings when children and adolescents have more difficult temperaments. In the present study, we sought to determine whether early adolescents' sibling relationships moderated the link between their temperamental styles and the quality of their relationships with best friends. Best Friendships and Temperamental Styles Young people who experience more supportive friendships generally report being more self-disclosing and prosocial, receiving more emotional support and encouragement from their friends, and evidence less conflictual, domineering, or rivalrous behavior in their friendships (Berndt & Savin-Williams, 1993; Furman & Robbins, 1985). Although present in childhood friendships, adolescents, as a function of their increased cognitive and social perspective taking abilities, demonstrate more of the aforementioned characteristics in their supportive friendships (Berndt & Perry, 1986; Sharabany, Gershoni, & Hofman, 1981). Our interest is the important role of young people's temperamental makeup to their ability to maintain more supportive and less conflictual friendships. Individual characteristics must be considered when examining children's and adolescents' interactions with others (Bell, 1971; Lerner, 1982). These characteristics are rooted partially in the individual's temperament. …

Relationship quality of aggressive children and their siblings: a multiinformant, multimeasure investigation.

Sibling influence on the learning and enactment of aggressive behavior has been consistently demonstrated in studies of sibling relationships. Available evidence suggests that, compared with nonaggressive children's sibling interactions, the sibling interactions of aggressive children are marked by more frequent, intense, and prolonged aggressive behaviors. Although research on normative and aggressive children's sibling interactions has increased recently, a number of limitations in this literature were addressed in this study by: (1) including both an aggressive and nonaggressive comparison group, (2) examining both positive and negative features of sibling relationships, (3) employing a multimethod/multiinformant approach to data collection, and (4) utilizing an improved self-report method. In support of our hypotheses and consistent with previous research, results showed that aggressive children's sibling relationships were marked by higher levels of observed conflict and lower levels of self-reported positive features. When gender was examined, results showed that older brother/younger sister dyads were characterized by higher levels of negative features and lower levels of positive features.

Marital conflict and parental hostility: Links with children's sibling and peer relationships.

The authors examined the associations between marital conflict and children's relationships with siblings and peers. Mothers' and fathers' hostility toward children and children's interpretations of parents' marital conflict (self-blame and feeling threatened) were investigated as mediators between marital conflict and children's sibling and peer relationships. The sample included 136 intact 2-child families. Children were 7 and 10 years old. Data were collected from observations of marital and family interaction and from family members' reports. Results showed that marital conflict was associated with problematic sibling and peer relationships. Both maternal and paternal hostility mediated the associations between marital conflict and sibling relationships. The link between marital conflict and sibling rivalry was also mediated by children's feelings of self-blame for their parents' conflict. Fathers' hostility toward children mediated the association between marital conflict and children's problematic peer relationships.

Marital conflict and parental hostility: Links with children's sibling and peer relationships.

Marital conflict and parental hostility: Links with children's sibling and peer relationships.

Marital Satisfaction and Maternal Emotional Expressiveness: Links with Children's Sibling Relationships

AbstractAssociations between marital quality, maternal emotional expressiveness and children's sibling relationships were examined in a sample of 64 seven‐year‐olds and their mothers. Mothers reported on the quality of their marital relationships, and children rated the quality of their sibling relationships. Mothers and children provided data on maternal emotional expressiveness. Results indicated that marital dissatisfaction was associated with hostile and rivalrous sibling relationships and with maternal negative emotional expressiveness. Mothers' negative emotional expressiveness was correlated with hostile and rivalrous sibling relationships, and maternal positive emotional expressiveness was associated with affectionate sibling relationships. Maternal emotional expressiveness mediated the links between the marital relationship and sibling hostility and rivalry.

Marital Satisfaction and Maternal Emotional Expressiveness: Links with Children's Sibling Relationships

Marital Satisfaction and Maternal Emotional Expressiveness: Links with Children's Sibling Relationships

Improving Sibling Relationships among Young Children: A Social Skills Training Model

Improving Sibling Relationships Among Young Children: A Social Skills Training Model* Laurie Kramer** and Chad Radey A new approach to improving sibling relationships was evaluated in which social skills training was used to directly coach small groups of children (n = 21) in prosocial sibling behaviors. In comparison to a control condition (n = 21), social skills training was associated with mothers' or fathers' reports of.' (I) increased warmth; (2) decreased rivalry; (3) stable levels of agonism and competition; (4) fewer problematic sibling behaviors; and (5) a reduced status/power differential between siblings. Social skills training may hold promise for setting young children's sibling relationships on a positive trajectory. Disputes among siblings are the most common type of conflict that families face (Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980) and may be quite aggressive and even violent (Felson & Russo, 1988; Roscoe, Goodwin, & Kennedy, 1987; Steinmetz, 1978; Straus et al., 1980; Weihe, 1991). Intractable conflictual relations among young siblings have been shown to be predictive of later difficulties, such as antisocial and disturbed behaviors in adolescence (Richman, Stevenson, & Graham, 1982) and adulthood (Patterson, 1982). These factors have led some investigators to refer to sibling relationships as potential training-grounds for violence (Steinmetz, 1978) and for establishing chronic coercive interactions with others (Patterson, 1982). Although resources do exist for assisting families to respond to sibling conflict, they are limited in several ways (Ramsburg & Kramer, 1995). First, most resources are based primarily on clinical or practical experiences and lack both a theoretical foundation and empirical data to support their effectiveness. In addition, resources for younger children focus primarily on promoting their initial adjustment to the birth of a new sibling and generally do not focus on developing competencies for interacting positively and managing conflict once their sibling becomes a more active partner in the interaction. When attention is devoted to sibling interaction (e.g., Leitenberg, Burchard, Burchard, Fuller, & Lysaght, 1977; Levi, Buskila, & Gerzi, 1977; Olson & Roberts, 1987), recommendations are usually reactive (responding in situations where pronounced sibling conflict already exists) rather than proactive and preventive (working to encourage prosocial interaction among siblings before conflictual processes escalate). Finally, most programs are designed to change parents' behavior with the objective of indirectly changing child behavior. Indeed, there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that parents play a substantial role in shaping the quality of children's sibling relationships, particularly as they respond to sibling conflicts (Brody, Stoneman, McCoy, & Forehand, 1992; Ross, Filyer, Lollis, Perlman, & Martin, 1994; Vandell & Bailey, 1992) or work to encourage prosocial sibling behaviors (Kramer & Washo, 1990). For example, Tiedemann and Johnson (1992) found improved sibling behaviors when mothers were taught strategies for promoting child sharing skills. However, even stronger effects may be obtained if we directly support children's acquisition of new sibling interaction patterns. In this research, we evaluate a new approach to improving sibling relationships in which a social skills training model is used to directly coach young children in prosocial sibling behaviors. The approach of developing interpersonal competencies as a way to improve sibling relationships is unique. However, it is supported by previous research on the early development of sibling relationships (Kramer & Gottman, 1992; Stocker & Dunn, 1990). Kramer and Gottman's (1992) longitudinal study demonstrated the importance of peer relationships and social competence in helping children to establish positive relationships with new siblings. …

Parental Perceptions of Children's Sibling Relationships

Helping young siblings to get along with one another is one of the most challenging aspects of parenthood. Although the volume of research on sibling relations continues to grow, much of this research does not address patents' real concerns about how to help siblings develop positive relationships (Dunn, 1987; Schachter & Stone, 1987). Furthermore, although many resources are available to help parents reduce conflict and rivalry among their children (e.g., Ames, 1982; Bode, 1991; Faber & Mazlish, 1987; McDermott, 1980; Reit, 1985; Strean & Freeman, 1988; Weiss, 1981), most have not been empirically validated. Additionally, most resources have been developed without the benefit of a systematic assessment of what family members consider to be the most desirable and problematic features of children's sibling relationships. As the effectiveness of an intervention is likely to be enhanced when it is consistent with the needs and desires of the target population, this lack of parental input represents a significant limitation of the applied work to date. Thus, a major objective of the present study was to systematically assess parents' appraisals of the quality of their children's sibling relationships. The absence of a systematic needs assessment has left us with some basic dilemmas about how intervention and prevention programs for sibling relationship problems should be focused. For example, the issue of whether parents are most disturbed by the presence of frequent conflict or the lack of closeness and warmth between their children remains an empirical question. This issue is important because most of the currently available resources emphasize the reduction or elimination of sibling conflict and rivalry, while devoting almost no attention to the facilitation of prosocial sibling relationships (Kramer & Loula, 1992). In fact, the emphasis on the reduction of sibling conflict may be inappropriate given recent empirical evidence that experiences with non-aggressive sibling conflict may actually promote social development. For example, developmental advances in identity formation (Shantz & Hobart, 1989), negotiating and managing conflicts (Hartup, Laursen, Stewart, & Eastenson, 1988; Vandell & Bailey, 1992), and in tolerating negative affect (Katz, Kramer, & Gottman, 1992) have been linked with non-aggressive sibling conflict. Thus, the push to eliminate or greatly reduce all types of sibling conflict may be misguided given the significance of non-destructive conflict for children's social development. In addition, we currently know very little about how parental concerns may change as their children develop. Siblings may face different issues regarding their relationship as they mature, and yet the advice offered in most resources is not tailored to children of particular ages. Recent research suggests that several features of children's sibling relationships do change in accordance with development. For example, Buhrmester and Furman (1990) found that both warmth and conflict among siblings decreased from third to twelfth grade. There are also changes in the characteristics of sibling conflict. Young siblings' conflicts center primarily around objects and possessions, whereas conflicts among adolescents are often multidimensional and have no single cause (Raffaelli, 1992; Vandell & Bailey, 1992). Thus, a second objective of the present study was to systematically describe parents' concerns about their children's sibling relationships with respect to children's developmental levels. This study focused on the early stages of sibling relationship development (i.e., siblings aged 14 months to 8 years). As most of the research on children's sibling relationships has emphasized maternal rather than paternal influences (see Brody, Stoneman, & McCoy, 1992; Brody, Stoneman, McCoy, & Forehand, 1992; Volling & Belsky, in press, for exceptions), very little is known about whether mothers and fathers share similar concerns about their children's sibling relationships. …