‘Your sibling is your sibling’
Her studies involved pairing four-year-olds with their older or younger sibling and a friend, and then following up when the main participants were seven. The children involved shared a close sense of humour and fun with their siblings, even when at times they would tease each other.
“They can call each other out in a humorous way, which they wouldn’t do with a friend,” Howe says.
Unsurprisingly, some of the most popular children’s humour involved ‘taboo’ subjects such as farts, burping and others guaranteed to raise parents’ eyebrows.
Howe has observed anecdotally these patterns carry on into adulthood, which is part of what makes the sibling bond so strong.
“There’s a lot more leeway in the sibling relationship, because your sibling is your sibling,” she says.
For parents with younger children, the holiday period provides a rich opportunity to encourage play and for siblings to bond.
“Allowing them to be silly, encouraging them to play with language or just engaging in humour tells them, “Hey, it’s okay to be silly!”
Read the cited paper, “‘Goosebump man. That’s funny!’: Humor with siblings and friends from early to middle childhood.”