Bonds between siblings come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some may see each other every day, others may catch up over the phone once a week and some may only exchange pleasantries during the holidays.

The age gap between siblings has plenty to do with the relationship brothers and sisters form with one another, and as odd as it may sound, a wide age gap leads to well-built connections between siblings.

Relating this topic to my personal experience, I am 22 years old while my younger sister is 14 years old. The youngest of the trio is my brother, who is nine years old. 

For anybody reading this that is not a math wiz, fear not, I have done the calculations. There is an eight-year age gap between my sister and me, and I am a whopping 13 years older than my little brother. 

Wide age gaps can reduce competitiveness between siblings and encourage closer — although different — relationships.

One of the worst things to deal with as a parent regarding similarly aged siblings is the intense rivalry and jealousy that will undoubtedly occur at least once during their lives. With age gaps this broad, sibling rivalry is practically nonexistent. 

For example, my current agenda involves finishing this semester on a high note and securing an internship over the summer. My sister is focused on making the cheer team her freshman year of high school next year and my brother is concentrating on when Mr. Beast is dropping a new YouTube video. 

Our ages deem what the most important goals are: graduating college and being offered that first real-world job, passing the driver’s test to feel the freedom of having your first car or winning the fifth-grade spelling bee.

It is safe to say the three of us have different priorities at this current point in time, yet we are all rooting for each other to succeed in these mismatched stages of life. 

Additionally, the middle and youngest siblings benefit tremendously from wide age gaps, and while this is not necessarily a pro for the oldest sibling, it is still a pro nonetheless.

The eldest has gone through all of it before; they learned how to walk, talk and feed themselves, not to mention a million other things involved in growing up. Therefore, the oldest can act as a role model for the younger child, who will look to them for reassurance and guidance. Or the oldest sibling can be the perfect example of what not to be like. The eldest tends to act as the savior rather than the one that needs saving. However, that does not mean they do not benefit at all. For instance, the older the child, the more aware they are of pregnancy, birth, and the monumental task of raising a baby. I can only speak from personal experience, but I truly enjoy being an older brother to my younger siblings, and I continue to learn from them as I hope they continue to learn from me.