5 Ways To Handle Sibling Rivalry Effectively

Sibling rivalry is one of the most pressing issues for the parents of two or more children. Most of the time parents are clueless on how to handle the situation. In cases where the age difference between the siblings is more than three years, the problem aggravates. Read on to find out how you can deal with sibling rivalry among your children.

How To Handle Sibling Rivalry Among Your Children?

Here are 5 simple yet effective ways to handle sibling rivalry and nip it at the bud.

1. Feeling of importance

   Generally, sibling rivalry starts when the new baby comes home and the parents along with other relatives and friends start fussing around the newborn. The elder child feels neglected, unimportant and unwanted thus resenting his or her new brother/sister.

   Solution:

   Make your elder child feel important and loved by appreciating him or her in front of relatives and friends. Don’t nag him or her either in front of relatives or friends, as that will only aggravate the situation

2. Give him authority

   It is usually seen that parents especially mothers are always saying ‘don’t do this or don’t do that to their elder child. More so when the elder child wants to do something for the sibling and this constant nagging creates a feeling of resentment for the sibling in them.

   Solution:

   Assign the elder child some responsibilities like taking care of the sibling while you quickly wrap up some work. Let them know that you alone will not be able to take care of the toddler and hence you need the elder child’s assistance

3. Equal attention

   It is quite natural that you will spend more time with the younger child, as they need you more. However, in spending more time with the younger one, please do remember that your elder child is also a child who needs his or her mother equally. Either hire a maid or ask your mother or mother-in-law to pitch in to take care of the younger one, while you spend some quality time with your elder child. Talk to him or her about their school

4. Involve both children

   While letting the children play individually might seem like a good idea, it is also necessary to have some activities that involve both the children simultaneously.

   Solution:

   Let them play a game that involves both, allowing the children to decide who takes what role. The idea is to ensure that the siblings get comfortable around each other

5. No comparisons

   No two children are similar. Remember that and respect their individuality. Don’t compare your elder child to the younger child or your younger child to the elder one. It would only increase the resentment and will not serve any purpose.

   Solution:

   Learn to appreciate their differences. While your elder child might be academically inclined, your younger child might have a creative bent on his mind. So appreciate that and see how your children grow and prosper. Comparing each other will only increase the resentment between them

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