Two siblings are playing on the living room floor. The girl, age 6, looks at her brother, and smiling, sings: “A, B, C, D, E, F – R!” Her older brother, age 7, grins and joins in with: “H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, PEE! Get it? Pee! Pee-pee!” Both fall about laughing.
You may remember similar silly exchanges with your own brother or sister when you were growing up. Research has shown that sibling relationships play an important role in child development. It is one of the most enduring relationships and is characterized by closeness, cooperation, conflict, and play. Now our research has taken us a step closer to finding out just how important sharing humor with a sibling may be.
