Sibling Relationships “Children are the essence of the family life but can become the driving destructive force that splits or divides them up” (Dr Barbara Wallace, 1995). Recently it has been realised that siblings have an enormous impact on one another not just through early childhood but long into the lifespan. Previously it was thought that parents were the main influence in early childhood changing to peers for early adulthood and old age, only now has the full impact of siblings influences been realised. Bonds The sibling relationship is usually one of the longest relationships an individual will experience through a