4 amazing ways to end sibling rivalry | Parenting News,The Indian Express
Children grow out of this friction as they mature, but sometimes these bonds do not strengthen over time
Your children probably have very different talents and personalities. Yet, they are often compared to each other and put in situations to forcibly get along. Often, they live in the shadow of their sibling, hearing comments at home and school such as, “Your sister is such a good student. You should be like her.” “Your brother makes me proud, and you are my reason for humiliation.” This doesn’t help a child’s bond with their brother or sister. Sibling rivalry shows up in different ways – from punching, biting, hair pulling and bullying to friendly nudges about being the parent’s favourite child. These are difficult situations to navigate, both for them as well as for parents. Many children grow out of this as they mature, but sometimes these bonds do not strengthen over time.
Here are four amazing ways to mitigate sibling rivalry:
- Delete the Labels – Our society categorises people into “a successful person”, “a powerful family”, “a weak person” and so on. Labels may help in some ways, but they also put people in boxes of stereotypes and skill-sets.
So when you refer to your child as “my smart one”, or “Mama’s good boy”, the other child assumes “I’m not the smart one” or “I’m not mama’s good boy”. These casual statements end up planting a seed of self-doubt to make them think they cannot be that way! By labelling your children, you unintentionally create comparisons between them and competitiveness. Most children interpret comparison as a form of criticism, which makes them believe that they are not as loved or good as their sibling is.
- Solo Attention – This requires undivided time, individually, to each of your children, ranging from 15 minutes to an hour a day depending on your schedule. This creates space for you two to bond and know each other deeper, without anyone else’s influence. You can chat, play board-games, connect and just be together. This one-on-one time will make your child feel special and loved. The additional benefit is that it reduces friction among siblings.
https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/4-amazing-ways-end-sibling-rivalry-8223137/
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