Sibling rivalry isn't just about squabbles—it's an opportunity for kids to learn empathy, compromise, and the profound bond of unconditional love.
Decrease sibling rivalry by changing your intention from figuring it all out to teaching kids skills to handle their conflicts on their own.
School’s out, kids are home, and thus there is the possibility of an uptick in sibling rivalry.
Dr. Jordan discusses some of the reasons behind sibling fights.
Parents have a big part in this pattern, oftentimes taking too much responsibility for their children’s conflicts and becoming part of the problem.
Parents can decide to change their intention from figuring the conflict out and doling out punishments to teaching skills so you can slowly but surely turn their fights over to them. This entails becoming an unbiased mediator, not caring who started it, whose only desire is to help them figure out a win-win solution. Since no one is punished, this eliminates a lot of the tattling behaviors.
You can teach kids how to advocate their needs and wants but also hear their siblings' needs. They can then learn how to brainstorm win-win solutions that work for both. Thus, they become responsible for their spats, not you!
Dr. Jordan ends by describing how sibling relationships are like a two-sided coin: on one side is the rivalry, but on the other side is the love and care they have for each other. Don’t overfocus on the fighting and miss out on all the times they show kindness to their siblings.
Find more information about raising children on Dr. Jordan’s website www.drtimjordan.com
