5 Reasons It’s Important to Keep Sibling Groups Together

Siblings need each other for a lot of big reasons.

Tom Andriola October 19, 2015

By default, siblings typically grow up together. They are best friends and they know how to push each other’s buttons. But sometimes there are circumstances that make their cohabitation default questionable. Perhaps it’s a custody battle as the result of a divorce. It might be that their biological parents die unexpectedly. Maybe it’s a case of abuse and neglect that results in the children being removed from the household. Whatever the situation, there are many reasons why it’s important to keep these sibling groups together.

1. They’ve likely just been through something major.

Whether it’s divorce, a parent who has passed, or a case of abuse and neglect, it is likely that if a decision is necessary about whether or not to keep siblings together, something traumatic has taken place. And while it may be necessary to separate them if there was abuse and neglect between them, in most cases, they will need to lean on each other to get through the difficult times that lie ahead.

2. They will look out for each other.

By nature, siblings often have a love/hate relationship. But when it comes to being there for each other, they usually are more than anyone else. When a child has been through trauma, he or she needs the security of having someone who will always have his or her back. Quite often, it is what gets them through.

3. They will have a common bond.

Children, and adults for that matter, want to be understood. And it’s difficult for them to feel understood by someone who hasn’t been through the same experience. Especially in childhood, and especially after a traumatic event, it is important for siblings to have each other in a safe and secure environment.

4. Coping with adoption issues is hard enough.

If siblings are placed for adoption, and wind up with two different families, they will likely long for each other just as they will likely long for their biological parents. At least if they are kept together, they will have each other. And when they are old enough, they will be able to a search for their biological parents together, if they so choose.

5. It is their right.

Nobody is willingly plucked from his or her family. No matter the circumstance, usually children want to stay with their families. When a situation presents itself that makes it necessary to remove children from their parents, for whatever reason, it is important to do whatever possible to keep them with their siblings. It is not only a good idea, it is their right.

Tom Andriola

Tom Andriola advocates for adoptee rights and shares his personal experiences about being adopted and his successful, independent search for both biological parents. To see more of his writing, visit Tom's Facebook page.