DO YOU THINK DR. EMER HAS 'POOR SOCIAL SKILLS?'
A Study Says So

"Children without siblings were consistently rated as having poorer social skills," says Ohio State University sociologist and study author Douglas Downey, PhD, in a news release.

"Spats between brothers and sisters help kids figure out how to solve problems, which in turn better prepares them to deal with peer conflicts at school, report Downey and OSU graduate student Dennis Condron in the May 2004 Journal of Marriage and Family.

The study showed that kids who grow up with at least one brother or sister have an easier time making and keeping friends than do children without siblings." [WebMD, July 27, 2004]

Am I missing out something here?

Yes, it's true I grew up with no spat or quarrel with a brother or a sister, simply because I didn't have any.

But 'poor social skills'? Geeez. I dunno. No one has ever told me that.

These studies are getting more personal lately.