How To Deal With Sibling Rivalry

If you are a parent with more than one kid, then their constant bickering must have surely driven you nuts at some point or another. Surprisingly, the cause of the quarrel is almost the same in most homes. Often both children would invariably want to play with the same toy or video game and that too at the same time. Many complain about their personal things being secretly tampered. Some grown ups crib that their siblings are encroaching upon their privacy.

Unfortunately some parents have to deal with such sibling rivalry frequently. As a parent it's only natural for you to want your children to get along with each other. But just face it that siblings will fight with one another. Since you cannot do anything about it, its advisable you keep in mind the following tips for handling sibling rivalry more tactfully. Infact, research show that these instinctual rivalries can be temporarily tamed and redirected toward good in many cases.  

 

As head of the family, it’s your responsibility to teach your children how to cope with each other's arguments in a manner that’s respectful and non-aggressive. There’s no doubt that stopping the quarrel is the topmost priority here. But this strategy would not only help the siblings get along with each other better, it will also help them to learn to deal efficiently with other people in society. This is just one way of how parents can deal with sibling rivalry.

 

Experts say there is less chance of such circumstances arising if set and strict rules are enforced in homes. For instance, the following important rules may help in preventing sibling rivalry from occurring to some extent. They are no name-calling, no tattling or engaging into any form of physical aggression. Once you have enforced these rules in the house, do not hesitate in punishing if they are flouted. This will dissuade them from engaging in any further misbehavior.

 

Though sibling rivalry is a common story of most homes, too much of it is also be an unhealthy feature. If handled tactfully, quarrels between children at home can actually be avoided by understanding the temperament of a child. Some children get easily irritated. As such, it is advised that you refrain from unnecessarily forcing him / her from doing things against his /her wish. Perhaps, the best way of dealing with sibling rivalry is try not to react at all when the argument occurs.