How Do I Say This?: How To Tell Your Sibling You Want To Repair

Sibling relationships, like any long relationship, will require repair. You may need to repair after a disagreement or a long period of estrangement. If you want to begin repairing your relationship with your sibling, here are some examples of how to start that conversation:

• “I’m sorry I said that today at lunch. I wasn’t being considerate and I understand why that was hurtful.”
• “I know we haven't spoken in a long time. I miss you and our relationship. I would love to talk soon if you’re up for it.”
• “I have done a lot of work trying to understand what went wrong in our relationship and what role I played. I would love to get together to talk about it.”
• “I know that I hurt you and I want to understand your perspective.”
• “I apologize for not inviting you to that party. I can see why you felt excluded. I could have handled that better.”