{"h1":"Is it normal to feel upset or jealous sometimes?","faq":[{"a":"No, it isn't bad at all. Feeling jealous sometimes is normal and very common for brothers and sisters. You can love your sibling and still feel jealous on the same day — both feelings are allowed.","q":"Is it bad to feel jealous of my brother or sister?"},{"a":"Tell someone you trust, like a parent, grandparent, or teacher. Saying how you feel out loud helps the feeling get lighter. You can also ask for some special time that is just for you.","q":"What should I do when I feel upset?"},{"a":"When a brother or sister needs extra help with things like talking or learning, grown-ups often spend more time helping them. It doesn't mean you matter less — it's okay to ask for your own special time too.","q":"Why does my sibling get more attention?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-to-feel-upset-or-jealous-sometimes","title":"Is it normal to feel upset or jealous sometimes?","entity":{"key":"sib_jealous","kind":"self_voice","name":"For Brothers & Sisters","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Sibling","value":"sibling"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Family Empowerment","value":"family_empowerment"}],"parent":null,"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"why-does-my-brother-or-sister-need-more-help-than-me","title":"Why does my brother or sister need more help than me?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-do-i-support-the-siblings-of-a-child-with-attachment-difficulties","title":"How do I support the siblings of a child with Attachment Difficulties?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"why-does-my-sibling-get-more-attention-than-me","title":"Why does my sibling get more attention than me?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-do-i-say-when-my-friends-ask-about-my-brother-or-sister","title":"What to Say When Friends Ask About Your Brother or Sister"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-my-fault-that-my-sibling-has-difficulties","title":"Is It My Fault My Sibling Has Difficulties?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-do-i-support-the-siblings-of-a-child-with-emotional-and-behavioural-difficulties","title":"How to support the siblings of a child with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties"}],"summary":"It is completely normal for brothers and sisters to feel upset or jealous sometimes, especially when a sibling needs extra help and attention. These feelings are okay, and the most helpful thing is to share them with a trusted grown-up. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*Feeling upset or jealous sometimes doesn't make you a bad brother or sister — it makes you human.*\n\n## In short\nYes — it is completely normal to feel upset, cross, or jealous sometimes. Lots of brothers and sisters feel this way, especially when it seems like your sibling gets extra time, help, or attention. These feelings are okay. What matters is that you have someone safe to share them with, so the feelings don't get stuck inside.\n\n## Why these feelings happen\nWhen your brother or sister needs more help with talking, learning, or everyday things, grown-ups often spend lots of time with them. That can leave you feeling:\n\n- **Left out** — like nobody noticed you today.\n- **Jealous** — wishing some of that attention was for you.\n- **Cross or guilty** — angry one minute, then feeling bad for being angry.\n- **Worried** — about your sibling, or about getting it \"wrong\".\n\nEvery one of these feelings is allowed. You can love your sibling *and* feel upset on the same day. Both can be true at once.\n\n## What can help\n- **Tell someone you trust** — a parent, grandparent, or teacher. Saying \"I felt left out today\" helps more than keeping it inside.\n- **Ask for your own special time** — even ten minutes that is just *yours* with a grown-up makes a big difference.\n- **Find your own thing** — a hobby, a sport, a friend, a quiet corner — something that is yours.\n- **Remember it's not your job to fix everything.** You are the brother or sister, not the carer.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nThis is general support information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. Your family is never alone in this: explore how we support [the whole family](/) , learn what your sibling's [therapy looks like](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) so it feels less mysterious, and read about [how progress is understood](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated).\n\n## Trusted sources\nAmerican Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) guidance on supporting siblings of children with developmental needs; WHO Nurturing Care Framework on family wellbeing within child development.\n\n**Next step —** If these feelings feel heavy a lot of the time, tell a grown-up — and families can [talk to a Pinnacle clinician](/) about support for everyone at home.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-it-normal-to-feel-upset-or-jealous-sometimes","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-it-normal-to-feel-upset-or-jealous-sometimes","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-it-normal-to-feel-upset-or-jealous-sometimes-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[],"meta_title":"Feeling Upset or Jealous as a Sibling — Is It Normal?","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"When a big feeling comes, name it out loud to someone you trust — 'I felt left out today' — instead of keeping it inside.","published_at":"2026-06-10T13:50:00.132992+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"why-does-my-sibling-get-more-attention-than-me","title":"Why does my sibling get more attention than me?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-my-fault-that-my-sibling-has-difficulties","title":"Is It My Fault My Sibling Has Difficulties?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"why-does-my-brother-or-sister-need-more-help-than-me","title":"Why does my brother or sister need more help than me?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-do-i-say-when-my-friends-ask-about-my-brother-or-sister","title":"What to Say When Friends Ask About Your Brother or Sister","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-do-i-support-the-siblings-of-a-child-with-emotional-and-behavioural-difficulties","title":"How to support the siblings of a child with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-do-i-support-the-siblings-of-a-child-with-attachment-difficulties","title":"How do I support the siblings of a child with Attachment Difficulties?","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":6}],"what_to_watch":"Notice if upset or jealous feelings stay heavy most days, if you stop enjoying things you used to like, or if you feel you have to keep your feelings hidden — these are signs it's time to tell a trusted grown-up.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org — supporting siblings"},{"url":"https://nurturing-care.org","label":"WHO Nurturing Care Framework — family wellbeing"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T13:50:00.132992+00:00","meta_description":"Yes, it's normal for brothers and sisters to feel upset or jealous sometimes. Gentle, reassuring guidance on these feelings and what can help.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}