SIBLINGS

I always find the dynamic between children interesting how they interact, how they communicate and how things don’t seem to bother them for too long.

When that dynamic is between siblings I find it even more interesting, perhaps it’s because my son Alexander is an only child, or perhaps it’s because I have a brother and whilst close we had our own friends but it’s just something I can’t explain.

But I remember being at my friends one morning having stayed the night before, and waking up to the sound of her two youngest daughters whispering outside the bedroom door. Moments later, they are hurling themselves into their mums arms and demandings cuddles.

Tangled haired and smelling of sleep, and giggling away the picture is an idyllic family scene and I can see my friend savour every moment – because she knows it won’t last and sure enough, within five minutes the squabbling starts.

One has stolen the favourite spot in the playroom, the other feels short-changed on cuddles. They start prodding each other, then kicking, then pulling then crying and eventually they stomp downstairs, which is where we find them 10 minutes later. They are both sitting on the sofa, arms entwined, inseparable once again.

How do they manage it – best friends one minute, sworn enemies the next?

Anyway, the reason I started writing about brothers and sisters is because we recently met this lovely family whom live a few minutes away from us. The three children wanted to have their photographs taken (silly me forgot to take one of all 3 together, next time!) and over the course of the shoot, out of curiosity, I asked them if they fight a lot?

The answer was “but of course” and it seemed such a natural reaction, and it kind of put me on the back foot if the truth be told.