Dealing with Sibling Rivalry

While it’s a nightmare and not-so-happy job for you as a parent, it’s your responsibility to restore peace within the house and get your children to reconcile. A few tips on how you can deal with sibling rivalry.

As a neutral parent, you must first set boundaries for each of your children, as regards to their behaviour. Sit them down and make it clear to them, about what is acceptable and what isn’t . For example, tell them, ‘name-calling, hitting, stealing each other’s toys’ is wrong.

Favouring one child over the other is the worst thing you can do in such situations. Make sure that you spend quality child with each of them independently. Have special activities for each child, in which the other sibling isn’t partaking. This will make the child feel he/she has your full attention.

Many a time, sibling rivalry is caused due to jealousy. If one of your children feels that the other is better at studies, or more obedient than him/her, and that you shower praises on the other more often, it can lead to a problem. So help this child feel worth, by encouraging and praising his achievements regularly.

If you can’t diffuse a tense situation between the kids, the best option at that time, is to separate them and call for a time out. Ask them to go to their respective rooms; this way they will get some time to cool down.

Finally, when your children are fighting, it isn’t necessary that you have to intervene in every other argument. If they aren’t bullying or physically harming each other, let them deal with this conflict themselves. That way, they learn to find a solution for their problems on their own.