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Some families are blessed with having more than one child in the house. As for me, I’m blessed and truly happy to have one, for now, my one and only son. Whether you have one child or a busload of kids, it is always great to teach the trait of developing good sibling behavior in the family. In my case, I can use my son’s extended family.
Why do siblings feel the need to fight sometimes? Here are my thoughts:
- Kids are responding to a feeling of not being treated fairly in the family. Maybe one sibling is getting favored over the other one.
- Lack of attention between the siblings or family members. Never forget children notice everything. If they feel like they are lacking attention, this will certainly cause sibling fighting and problems between one or ALL of your kids.
Okay, so you have a potential issue with sibling rivalry. What do you do?
- Never make comparisons between siblings or family members. Instead, encourage each child and help them feel special.
- Make sure each child feels loved and that they do belong.
- Always treat each child fairly. I believe this extends to sisters, brothers, or cousins. By being careful you will reduce any conflict or jealousy that may occur between them. Personally, I highlight the positive things I see with my son, showing him how he is growing up.
- Show love to all of your family members. I know this might be tough with your cousins, etc; however, you have to model the behavior you expect.
- Take time out of your day to pray for a family member. A few times each day I say something positive about my family. Mention something you love about a certain family member and watch how your children respond. Before we go to bed or when we get up each morning, I say a short prayer for the family members in our lives. I believe by doing that, I have strengthened the love towards my siblings and extended family in general.
- Formalize the relationship by scheduling time with family to ‘get together.’ I scheduled play-dates with my son’s cousins. It is something Jeremiah really enjoys doing and just hanging out with good friends allows him to see great interactions between siblings.
Teaching good sibling behavior is a great skill to teach a child. Even though I’m a father of one, it’s never too early to practice it, even if it’s a cousin or a good friend they see every day. As I have constantly stated in my writing, the teaching begins with the parents in the household. It is my goal to develop a child who knows how to respect, love, and cares for family members as well as others around the world.
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A version of this post was previously published on GetConnectDad.com and is republished here with permission from the author.
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