Do you have close relationships with your siblings?

I have a half sister and a sister. As my father felt the need to deny our existence whilst she was growing up, she was 29 when I first met her, my half sister and I keep contact, enjoy getting together but aren't as close as we could have been. My full blood sister and I were very close until my half sister came on the scene and all of a sudden, I was dropped like a hot stone. This didn't unduly surprise me and I thought I would just bide my time but, out of the blue after an argument, she called Social Services out to my DD. Fortunately, they realised there was no case to answer but such spite made me re-evaluate our relationship. I saw with clarity that over the years she was very good with words but hopeless with action, I kept my mouth shut when I disagreed with her or she would turn into a screaming banshee and she had undermined me in so many ways I'd just got used to it. My DH reminded of the many times she had let me down which I had shelved because to do otherwise would have just caused a storm. Although I still went through a grief process as if she had died, my decision to walk away from my sister is probably one of the best ones I have ever made.

My sister and I haven't been in contact for the last two years and that was only because we she was organising my mam's 80th birthday party. Oddly she felt she could organise it far better than I could even though she lives in Australia.

On the day it turned out that she hadn't included my DH or my two step children so we ended up eating at a table in the restaurant whilst everyone else ate together in a private room.

When she first emigrated I tried to keep in touch via email but she rarely replied. After the party incident I just gave up.

Oh kittylester, the years my only sister & I detested each other due to our bitter Mother's stirring. I will never understand what pleasure she got from setting us against each other with her awful lies...can only think it was a control thing. Sadly, my sister still believes some of it, so although we get along much better now. it's still like walking on eggshells!

My siblings were adults with lives of their own when I was a small child. My brother was the oldest and I never really got to know much about his life, though he was always very good to me. My two sister's were more like mothers to me than my mother was; it was always to one or other of their houses that I would escape when my mother was "on one"! We were close, but I was always the baby. The younger of the two, with whom I share a close resemblance, used to get most annoyed when people asked "is this your daughter?" They are all gone now, and I miss them very much.

Hi I don't have any sisters or brothers I wish I did have I have one cousin and although we live in the same town she don't really bother with me as I've lost my mum and dad now I often feel alone

I have both my sisters coming to visit me in the next couple of months which sadly to say I am dreading! They both live in different parts of Canada. My sister in Calgary and I are only 14 months apart and there was always a lot of difficulty for me - in fact I felt she was the blight of my life. I do get on a bit better with her now but only if I keep VERY firm boundaries. Our parents were always very critical of us all and I think my sister is constantly trying to prove herself although she is the one who has been most 'successful'.
My youngest sister married a very controlling man and sadly has had health issues. But the difficulty with her is her sarcasm, critical nature and need to control absolutely every last detail of everything. (Oh dear I wonder what they think of me! - we are always superficially polite) Makes for a tiring time when with her. I do feel very sad for her as it is not a very happy lifestyle.
I get on well with my brother and sister in law which is lucky as we have elderly parents! I try to talk to my sisters a bit as I think when we have more to deal with my parents we will have to get on. And yes in some ways we would always be there for each other and for our nieces and nephews.

Bettyboo2

I'm the middle of three and so is my husband. Neither of us like our siblings and my husband cut off all contact with his years ago. Although we rarely socialise as sisters we all know we can rely on each other. We don't go to the theatre or on holiday together but in times of emergency we are each other's first phone call.

I'm an only child, and it gets harder as I get older. I'm now 67 with a 93 year old mum, and no-one to compare notes with, or to tell me if I'm getting it right or wrong. My own children are sons - say no more! My mum was an only child as well, so although I have caring cousins on my dad's side, they're not blood related to her, and only the geographically closest one helps out occasionally - and lets me rant! But my husband tells me that I see siblings through rose tinted specs, and certainly reading some of your experiences on here, I guess it's not all Little House on the Prairie.

My Mother had 5 children altogether. We all get on and we all love each other to bits. OK there have been arguments in our lives between us, mostly minor problems which have been sorted out and brought us closer than ever. So yes, I get on with all my siblings. So sorry for those who don't get along together, very sad.

I'm the youngest of three sisters and all through my childhood and adult life I was pushed aside, two's company and all that. There was a time when I was working at the same place as the oldest sister, we did become quite close until the middle sister put a spoke in that and told the older one about something I'd said, exaggerated it to make it sound far worse than what it was and the older sister believed her over me. The middle one has caused a lot of trouble over the years for me from lying about an ex 'coming on' to her to stealing my idea's for family birthday's and such but mostly it's the lies. Put it this way, if she wasn't related she's not the type of person I would associate with. The oldest sister yes, I love her to bits but in hindsight I don't think it's reciprocated. The oldest one has been present many times when the middle one has been bullying and making fun of me and as the oldest one she should have told her to cut it out but she hasn't so I guess I know where her loyalties lie but then, deep down I've always known.

f77ms my youngest sister and I have that kind of relationship. We seem to like the same things and often send the same Birthday cards to people. One thing she and I did was to buy identical material to make our maternity dresses, and we lived in different countries at the time. We can tell each other anything and know where to turn to when we have problems. We have always been very close and yes, I would say she is my best friend too. My other sister is closer to my brother than she is to us, they often stay with each other, but we all get along very well and we love each other thank goodness.

So sad to read all these posts where people do not see each other or do not get along.

My sister died after several years fighing breast cancer, we had not had a happy relationship for sometime and she lived in a house with an annexe that my dad lived in (and had paid half for) it was all tragic.

She died at home and my dad could have walked through the connecting door to see her but she would not allow it, nor were we allowed to go to her funeral. How do these animosities arrive literally at our doors?

Whatever went on with my sister and I can never get to the bottom of it, the family were and remain divided, I lost my daughter and consequently grand children over the rift. All the support and comfort there might have been lost.

I find that women seem to feed the feuds more than men, or nuture the bonds closer and that men can take it or leave it all a bit more. My sister's legacy is one of hurt and misery for the whole family in one form or another, if it were money we'd all be millionaires.

I miss her, that's the awfulness of it all, and miss my nieces and nephew they are full of hatered for reasons thast the rest of us can only guess at.......it puts me off being close to anyone.......what could have been a comfort to us all going through her loss was destroyed, nonethless I miss her and what we could have been to each other.

I have no siblings despite my parents efforts. However, I have always been close to a cousin and her daughter. Cousin is dead now, but she was always like a sister to me, and her daughter, five years younger than me, is too. We love each other dearly, but I don't see much of her as she is always jetting around the world enjoying retirement with her lovely husband.
I would have loved a big brother and it is a bit lonely on my own, but I never fall out with myself, so that's a bonus!

My brother & I have always been close though had many rows over the years. He always thought that I had preferential treatment, that I got the best of everything.
To my view it was a lot different, being 2yrs older than him I was expected to look after him & make him behave!
The worst time was when he had been told not to go on the swings in the park & ignored me when I tried to stop him! Took him home after he fell off with blood down his face to be yelled at by our Mum ' what have you let him do now'!
We are still fairly close though do not ' live in each others pockets' we are always there for each other when needed!

My brother and I were never close growing up.... no antagonism, just very different people. All changed when both parents developed dementia, when brother andI pulled together to manage all the horrors associated with this terrible disease.
My brother and I are now closer than we've ever been, even though we live in different parts of the country. So out of adversity, there can be sunlight...

Reading these posts has made me so sad. My beloved sister and best friend died very suddenly and unexpectedly 18 months ago. We never had an argument or cross word and I now realise how lucky we were to have such a wonderful relationship. I miss her every minute of the day.

I am the youngest of 3 girls. There is an age gap of 6 and 8 years between myself and my .2 older ones. We have all been close over the years, although my ex husband and my brother in law didn't get on well. My eldest sister died suddenly 5 years ago and my other sister had a heart attack almost 2 years ago. I have felt very vulnerable since then. We speak on the phone frequently and I drive the 175 miles several times a year as well as going on holiday once a year together. I dread the day when she is not there, even though I have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren , 3 of which I see almost every day.

I had two older brothers, 8 and 10 years older. I always got on well with my eldest brother but the middle one always had a chip on his shoulder, probably jealousy, I imagine. He moved to London early and never returned. We always had a delicate relationship but we did go to family weddings, funerals etc. There were huge problems when my mum was older and had dementia. Both brothers left it all to me but this brother kept saying he'd do everything if he was here and he could (which is easy to say) and criticising and questioning every decision I made.

At my eldest brother's funeral, the middle one and family spent all their time with the eldest brother's ex-wife and her family and not us and sister in law and family! Long story. Despite me saying we must keep in touch now, there's only us two now and him agreeing, that's been it! No cards, no contact, didn't even tell me of his new address until I requested it from his daughter on FB!

He's in his mid 70's now but I imagine he's determined to outlive me, even though I'm 8 years younger. Has always been v proud of his fitness, looks etc. I do not know what I've done, other than be close to my eldest brother as we only lived a few miles apart. It's sad though, my mum would be very upset, she wanted us all to be close when they'd gone.

Leah50 - exactly the same happened to my sister and me. I always thought that one day my sister and I would be reconciled but mother is still alive whereas sister has died. However I am very close to the inlaws and since youngest BIL died suddenly, the rest of us meet up regularly.

Like Downton
I had 1 brother. There was 5 years between us. He was in the Navy for man years. Even so we were close, he lived in Edinburgh 250 miles away. He would keep in touch all the time. I miss him so much. He died in 2010 three weeks after his 65th. I think of him every day.

I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. We r not very close but try to meet up once a year
I am the only one permanently residing in UK. I used to be quite close with youngest one and we helped her through her divorce. Now she is remarried we have drifted apart. She has moved to other side if world and become very right wing. Sadly we seem to have nothing left in common. However we have seen more of older sister and helped her through her illnesses and loss of husband. What I am finding difficult at moment is that none of my siblings seems very sympathetic towards my son's illness. Fortunately I have a small group of supportive friends. Families!

I am the youngest of six. My DM married twice and had three children to each marriage. The children from the first marriage were in their twenties when I was born and had left and settled in other countries.
I was so close to my brother but never to my sister. She claimed she was the middle child, that dad doted on my brother and mum doted on me and there was nothing left for her. Jealousy is an awful trait. Her hatred has made her do the most awful things to me. It was always a competition to get my mums attention as we got older. I married before her, she was my bridesmaid and at the wedding she told me you might have married before me but I will be pregnant before you....yes she got pregnant.
Our father died and she got mum to sell up and live with her. That lasted three months buy which time all mums money was gone. They used the money to buy a house and refurbish it. They also charged her £300 pm rent. My brother and I rescued mum after she was thrown out and got her somewhere to live and my DH moved her in. I made sure she was financially sound. It turns out that out of my mums 8 grandchildren my sister 2 were privately educated, all paid for by my mother.
My mum died aged 91. My DS arranged the funeral and wouldn't tell us where it was. The Mass cards had a thank you on the back thanking all who attended the funeral from her and one older sibling from mums first marriage.
I only had one sister but it's a relief to have her out of my life, wicked through and through.

I was thrilled when my half brother came looking for me, having grown up as an only child. He is 17 years younger and from my fathers 3rd marriage. His wife warned me that he would hurt me because "that's what he does". After being very close for 3 years (virtually daily emails) he discarded me last July and not a word since. Not even a card on my 70th birthday! Sad but wiser!

No but we were never close as children.