Children between 6 and 18 with a sibling know the possibilities of a rivalry. We accept that life isnâÂÂt a black and white sitcom where siblings kiss and make up.

There might be physical pain or emotional suffering, but you still have a person to share your best moments.

For the most part, Kalee Forsythe, 10, enjoys the company of her brother, Rich Brown, 7. They ride bikes, play chess and listen to music together.

On the other hand, Kalee was quick to say, âÂÂRich gets on my nerves when he keeps asking something over and over and over.âÂÂ

Jake Frydman, 10, and his younger sister, Aly, 9, both agreed they enjoyed playing sports together. Jake did disclose that Aly annoys him by telling on him all the time. Aly, in return, said that Jake bothered her when he imitates what she is saying.

Older siblings have a bit of an advantage when it comes to boundary lines. This might mean getting to ride your bike farther or get to go to certain places with your friends. The younger ones might have an hour difference in bedtimes. Older brothers or sisters may have an hour difference in curfews. One thing for certain is that the older sibling enjoys being the oldest.

âÂÂI like being the older one because I am more in control,â Kalee said.

Switching the gender of your sibling proved interesting. Aly said if her brother was a girl, she felt they might play together more. JakeâÂÂs conclusion was if Aly was a boy, they would compete a lot more. Rich said he would hang out more with a brother, while Kalee felt having a sister would mean too much competition.

Sibling rivalry will continue as we all get older. The fights might stop, and we might not roll around the floor anymore. The fun part will be seeing how we express ourselves then.

– Alek Joyce is a fifth-grader at Pinckney School.