Are you worried about your children being torn apart by conflicts among themselves? Many parents are often at a crossroad on how to handle sibling rivalry.
Sibling rivalry can happen in any home, and it can cause parents many worries. However, you can identify the signs early and stop it from becoming a ‘full-fledged’ feud.
Sibling rivalry has been associated with reasons such as the need for attention, bullying, communication issues, unhealthy competition and many more. It is, however, unfortunate and should be quickly discouraged.
I have found some useful tips that can help parents handle sibling rivalry better. Your goal is to address issues in a way that everyone wins.
Sounds difficult? It is possible; continue reading to learn about the best ways of how to handle sibling rivalry among your adorable children.
Show the Children Love
Your children should never have a reason to doubt your love for them. They will feel more confident to approach you when they are feeling angry rather than vent by picking up a fight.
Listen to Them
If you watch carefully, children will attempt to communicate when there is a dispute. It is when they are not able to express themselves that it gets out of control.
Listen to them with a neutral mindset, and you can understand the cause of dispute and how to solve the issue satisfactorily.
Make Family Time an Enjoyable Experience Always
Create time for your family to be together at least once every day. It can be meal time, watching a TV show, or a picnic outdoors.
While growing up, one of your children can become quite ‘reclusive’ staying away from others. Do not let this happen, they should be siblings and friends, while you give them opportunities to create the best childhood memories together.
Never Lose your Temper
Children can throw tantrums and start arguments for the most absurd reasons. It is quite a difficult situation to handle especially when you just had a long day at work.
As their parent, you must be able to control your temper and listen to their arguments to decide the best solution to make everyone happy.
Equal Responsibility
You should create a situation where every child has a sense of comparable responsibility in the home. In this setting, exploitation or bullying among your children will not be a frequent occurrence.
More so, they will learn to make decisions collectively to achieve goals.
Combine some Chores
When your children have to work together during specific tasks they can form a closer bond. They will quickly understand the importance of cooperating with others to achieve good results.
It is a good lesson for children; they will begin to consciously prevent any situation that can lead to a dispute by communicating more and find better solutions to problems.
Be the Judge
You must be the judge, a parent who has the final say. This way all issues will be brought to you before the situation escalates and you can wisely make a decision that will be accepted by your children.
In conclusion, parents are advised to avoid punishing children in the case of a dispute or rivalry. Instead, find a way to understand what happened, why it happened and a long-term solution.
Today, more than 60 percent of American households are raising children from previous marriages. Creating a harmonious blended family can be challenging for everyone involved. Get advice on ways of coping with sibling rivalry within a blended family.
