6 Ways to Stop Sibling Rivalry
4. Punish both your kids equally
Reprimanding both your kids in equal capacities when they do something wrong is a clear message that, you give them both the same treatment. If you are strict to one child and lenient on the other, one of them may feel cheated and develop animosity towards the other.
5. Give examples of your own experience as a sibling
Even if you take tremendous caution to mete out equal behavior towards all your kids, there may be other elements that affect the relationship between them. Have a conversation with your children and recount your own experiences with your siblings. Explain to them about your relationship with your brothers and sisters. Try to relate your experiences with the situations your children are facing every day. While doing so, teach them to take this with a pinch of salt without being jealous of each other.
6. Take your older child into confidence and teach him/her that he/she should learn to let go
Sibling fights arising out of jealousy and rivalry are bound to ensue throughout your children’s growing age. You cannot intervene each time and negotiate things out between your kids. As a solution, you can empower your older child and tell him about the perks of being older. Teach him/her that he/she should learn to let go of any mistakes or naive behavior that the younger one shows. This way, your older child will become more mature and sibling rivalry will automatically diffuse itself out.
