Has your household become a battleground? Sibling rivalry is a common concern for families with more than one child. It doesn't take long for kids to become competitive, especially if one child is excelling in an area that makes the other jealous. Sometimes one child may simply by getting a little more attention—for whatever reason—which can cause jealousy.
We’ve discussed sharing and family bonding in our last two Families First articles; today we'll be zoning in on how families can work together to achieve a friendly, harmonious home life.
Sibling rivalry often occurs around the birth of a younger child, when the elder sibling(s) develop a sense of jealousy about the family’s new, cute addition (who inevitably requires lots of attention). As they get older, fighting between siblings is a normal part of growing up. However, constant battling can become extremely frustrating for parents who just want a little calmness in the household.
Siblings can often view each other as rivals: an opponent against whom they must compete to attain what they want. Whether it be more time in the shower, more attention, the rights to watch a particular TV show or the power to choose the radio station in the car. Your kids may have different personalities—which creates tension—or they may feel that you display favouritism towards another.
The level of sibling rivalry is often a reflection of the ages of your children. As the children develop maturity, the fighting will likely ease; they'll become more confident in themselves, and will feel less of a need to project onto their siblings. That may be small comfort to you while your children are in the thick of things when their rivalry can manifest as anything from manipulation and teasing to violence.
The best way to address sibling rivalry in your household is to know when to leave the children to work things out themselves and when to intervene. Younger children will often require you to jump in to diffuse the situation, as they may need assistance with the problem-solving process. However, if you witness your children expressing their feelings and attempting to compromise, it’s best to stand back and watch.
If a disagreement becomes violent, you must immediately step in. Once the children have been separated and have cooled down, it is important to discuss the issue and reinforce that violence is never a solution.
How do you deal with sibling rivalry in your household? We know taking your kids out for some outdoor playtime is a great way to defuse a situation. This would be a great time to put your Vuly swing set or trampoline to use.