Young Children\u27s Appraisals of Their Sibling Relationships

Preschool-aged children, their older siblings, and mothers in 65 families appraised the children\u27s relationships. Children responded from their own ( I like my sister ) and their siblings\u27 ( My sister likes me ) perspectives. For both children and mothers, (actor analyses indicated that a single factor with good internal consistency and short-term stability characterized sibling relationships. Relationships were appraised positively, slightly more so for self than other, and were perceived as reciprocal. The children\u27s ratings predicted those of their mothers, but wel\u27e unrelated to one another. Younger but not older siblings\u27 ratings were associated with mothers\u27 reports of externalizing problems, use of aggressive conflict tactics, and childlen\u27s descriptions of past sibling conflicts. Thus young children provided meaningful and coherent appraisals of their sibling relationships