How To Raise Kids Who Actually Like Each Other

Sitting between his two older sisters, Rhys Tsiang, a 16-year-old from New Jersey, said, “They kind of just feel like I’m with my friends when I’m with them.”

The three siblings ― Rhys, Kobie Tsiang, 22, and Nori Tsiang, 20 ― often hang out together in Kobie’s bedroom, which she described as “our communal space.”

“I have a TV in here,” Kobie Tsiang said. “We’ll all come in here. We’ll talk, we’ll walk in without knocking, often. I’d say that we’re pretty close. I’d say that we hang out pretty regularly and probably more than other siblings do in general.”

The Tsiang siblings told HuffPost that they feel closer now than earlier in their lives, when they faced some of the typical sibling conflicts and resentments.

“I did find my younger brother to be slightly annoying,” Nori Tsiang admitted, speaking of her 11-year-old self. Today, the pair often spend time hanging out together with mutual friends.

“I don’t think we were that close when we were younger. I think it’s changed a lot, though,” Rhys said.

Having the space to build their own authentic relationships with each other, as well as having regular time to spend together, such as on annual family vacations, has helped shape the bond the siblings share today.

Building sibling dynamics can be difficult when you’re a parent. But there are steps you can take to ensure that your children have a strong relationship with one another.

We asked a couple of experts what parents can do to raise siblings who actually like each other.

Don’t confuse a good relationship with a conflict-free one.

Liking someone doesn’t mean that you don’t ever fight with them.

“Expecting your kids to like each other is a reasonable goal. I think that’s different from expecting them to not fight