6 TV Siblings Show Us Why Being Roommates with Family Can Be Wonderful

Today is National Siblings Day, a day to celebrate just how wonderful it is to have your siblings in your life, and also to post embarrassing pictures of them. For some, siblings aren’t just the people you spent your childhood with—believe it or not, some siblings choose to live together out there in the real world. Before you scoff at the entire idea, yes, living with a sibling can be hard—there can be a lot of baggage there—but it can also be wonderful. Don’t believe me? Many of the benefits that come with sibling cohabitation are clearly on display in some of your favorite television shows. Below, find six examples from TV of why living with your sibling might be the best decision you ever make.

In season six of the ’90s sitcom “Sister, Sister,” separated and adopted at birth twins Tia and Tamera meet their biological father while living together in college. Is there anyone else you’d want in your space while navigating such an emotional life moment? Sometimes your sibling is the only one who would understand what you’re going through, and it’s nice that you can just walk into the next room when you need to hash a few things out.

You know, like when a fling from your past shows up and tells you you have a 15-year-old son who needs to move into your apartment. That’s an extreme example, but it’s what happens to brothers Vince and Matthew on NBC’s underrated, gone-too-soon gem “Champions” when Vince’s ex Priya unexpectedly shows up with their son Michael. A regular roommate might be like, “Um, there’s no way a third person and a teenager is moving in here,” but Matthew is psyched. He gets to be an uncle! Sibling roommates are just a little more lenient with certain things—or, at least, can’t stay angry at you about whatever it is you’re doing for too long.

Okay, so we’re not all figuring out how to use our powers after discovering we’re witches like the Vera sisters, but the same principle can be applied. When something embarrassing or awkward to talk about happens- you know, like you accidentally hit reply all on a work email or you suddenly have the ability to freeze time, you may not want to get into it with a roommate you hardly know. A sibling as a roommate offers you a judgment free living space—after all, you probably know all of their embarrassing secrets, too. Again, not like the fact that they can read minds, but you know, your basic non-witch related secrets.

Sometimes it can be difficult and awkward to bring up problems in the apartment when you don’t know your roommate well. From bringing guests home, to dealing with bills, to cleaning up the kitchen, sometimes you just don’t want to ruffle feathers, especially when you don’t really know whose feathers you’re ruffling. But if you’re living with a sibling, you eliminate that issue. You’ve probably been calling each other out on less-than-flattering qualities your entire lives. Take Mariana and Callie Adams Foster from Freeform’s “Good Trouble.” They’re adopted sisters who spent all of high school sharing a bedroom, only to decide to move into a downtown Los Angeles loft together post-college. Even when they’re fighting over who’s cleaning what and who keeps waking the other one up with late-night escapades, there’s no fear that their relationship will be ruined. They’ve never tiptoed around each other before, and they won’t start now.

Sure it helps that Ellis Grey’s daughters and Meredith’s sister-in-law are all world-class surgeons, but aside from eating full meals while speaking in medical jargon, these sisters understand what the others are talking about in their personal lives, as well. Imagine having to explain to Jane Schmo off the street about secret love children and dead husbands and almost dying at least seven times. I mean, Jane would love the drama of it all but she’d also question your sanity. A sibling just gets you and for the most part (baring the secret love child stuff) knows your entire story. It’s a context-free life!

When Kevin Pearson comes to live with his brother Randall and his family for awhile, the brothers aren’t on great terms. Their relationship has always been fraught and any true affection they have for each other is mostly superficial. Once they’re under the same roof as adults, they’re forced to face that fact and sure, they physically fight in the middle of an NYC street, but after that they embark on a true friendship. Living with your sibling may force you to confront some issues and come out of the other side with not just a sibling bond, but a true friend. Or if that’s just too much drama to have in your living space, maybe stick to the randoms.