Prevent Sibling Rivalry with these 6 Tips

This blog contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. Don’t worry, I only recommend products that I love and find beneficial. Learn more at https://returningtothehome.com/disclosure-statement

Your Kids Should Take Care of One Another

Do you remember when your oldest learned that he was going to be a big brother or a big sister?

When they would place the tiny palm of their hand against your belly and feel the child inside?

Did your oldest child look at you in wonder and ask a million questions about the baby that was coming into the world?

My son was ecstatic that he was going to have a little sister to take care of.

He was two years old and was ready to be a big brother. He would talk to my belly and rest his head on the baby often.

When she was born, he would stare at her in absolute awe. He moved into the role of big brother quickly, asking often "what he could do to take care of her".

His favorite thing to do was to make her laugh, he would pop up in front of her and yell peek-a-boo! Making her jump and then belly laugh. The whole house would laugh until our eyes watered because nobody could make her laugh as he could.

He grew so much in that first year of her life, really taking on a mature and responsible role. He still holds this role with pride today.

My son is my daughter's biggest fan. He cheers louder than anyone at her dance recitals. He will compliment her when she does well on a spelling test and will hug her when she had a bad day at school. 

Watch as they Grow

Happy relationships seem to come naturally to children when they are young. Keeping that relationship strong as they become older and more independent can be a challenge. It can be a challenge when you have strong-willed and independent children. It is important to teach them skills to keep their relationships strong.

Both my children are in school full-time now. The days of toddlers are gone. The dynamic around our home has changed.

My kids will go to one another for advice before they come to me. They respect each other's opinions and want to share information with one another. 

Things that we have learned about instilling a great relationship in our children:

Never Compare your Children.

They are not the same and will never be. They will find different areas that they are strong and weak in. Treat your children as unique individuals. They each have different skills and talents. Address and admire your children for their uniqueness.

Favor your children equally. If you are in the newborn/toddler stage, it is important to make sure you are giving your toddler as much of your attention as your newborn. Make sure that he knows he is loved as much as the new baby. As your children grow, be sure to participate in conversations equally, showing that you are interested in what they have to say.

Family Takes Priority

Respect is earned, even with children. Teach them the golden rule. This will help them in all relationships. Show your children that family is the priority in your home. That the people within your home should be most important to one another. They should be respected above friends, cousins, grandparents, uncles, and anyone else. Teach that this home shows love and respect to one another at all times.

Tattling is Frowned Upon

There is a huge difference between tattling and telling. If you show your children that tattling means trying to get one another in trouble, and telling is protecting one another from danger, you will save yourself a huge headache as they grow up.

Teach your kids to cheer for one another. This is a lesson to teach early, newborn learning to crawl, or watching big brother get a move right in karate. When one child does well, cheer for them and encourage your other children to do so as well. Teach them that they should hope for one another to succeed. Over time they will show genuine excitement for the other's achievements.

No Teasing

Saying mean words and leaving one another out of activities, can cause damage to a child. Harsh words, even in jest can cause deep pain to a child.

A child's home should be their haven. This should be the place where they are most comfortable being themselves. They should not feel like they are walking on eggshells in their own space.

Remove any form of teasing in the home, and teach that you are a team in the home.

Explore Together

Get them moving. Go to the park, camping, hiking, and to museums together often. This will force your children to always play and interact together. They will have so many small experiences with one another. This will create long-lasting memories with one another.

Lean on One Another

Allow your children to help one another. Encourage them to teach each other new games and skills.

This can be done as easily as saying "That game sounded fun, I think your sister would love to learn to play it with you."

Teaching is a great way for kids to bond with one another. They will start to show each other things excitedly and want to share often.

As they grow up and move to middle school and high school, encourage them to continue speaking to one another. Remind them that they can count on one another and that they can share their excitement and fears with one another.

You are Raising them for the Future

Your children will want to have one another as adults. It will be a great benefit in their life to grow up with someone that they have always been able to count on and trust.

Teach them to take care of each other now. In the future, they will be so glad that you did.