First Psychology blog

If you’ve grown up with brothers or sisters, it’s likely that at some point in your life you’ll have experienced sibling rivalry. Or perhaps you’re now the parent of more than one child and you’ve become the one in a position of responsibility. Either way, if you don’t have the right tools to deal with certain situations, sibling rivalry can become stressful for both the children and parents. In a 2021 study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence available at  National Library of Medicine , sibling bullying is linked to lower self-confidence and self esteem and in some instances it can double the risk of depression and self-harm in young adults. Why does sibling rivalry happen? In reality not everyone gets along with each other all of the time, adults included, so it’s not surprising that children have arguments from time to time and this is normal behaviour. However, when these arguments become more of a regular occurrence, it’s time to take action. There are many rea...

Trying to find a compromise between our parents’ expectations and our own life goals when we’re growing up, particularly during our teenage years, can sometimes be a struggle. Perhaps they have certain ideas of the route you should go down, whether that’s college, university or a specific job path, but your ideas don’t match up to theirs. Having a difference of opinion certainly isn’t uncommon but when you feel as though you’re underachieving or you’re a disappointment to your parents, it can have a serious impact on your mental wellbeing. In an article published by the Journal of Adolescent Health , it was found that “high parental expectations, emphasis on academic achievement, or feelings of not meeting parents’ expectations are associated with worse mental health.” While we all want to please our parents and live up to their expectations, it shouldn’t come at a cost of negatively impacting our self-confidence or trying to be something we’re not. There are many different types of e...