How do I Solve Sibling Jealousy?
Sibling jealousy or rivalry inevitably arises when a second child comes into a family. It can lead to competition or even fights, and it's important to help your children learn to deal with it in a healthy way.
Other People Are Reading
-
Causes of Sibling Jealousy
-
Sibling jealousy or rivalry occurs as each child in a family tries to discover his uniqueness. First-born children often have a hard time learning to share the family spotlight when a second child comes along. Sometimes younger children are jealous of their older siblings' abilities or possessions.
How to Respond to Sibling Jealousy
-
To minimize sibling jealousy, parents should avoid playing favorites among their kids, and shouldn't compare their kids to each other. Reassurances of the parents' love can help a child resolve his feelings of jealousy. Minimizing a sense of competition and helping children focus on who they are and what they can do also helps direct a child's feelings away from jealousy.
-
When to Intervene Between Siblings
-
Younger children are not always able to work out their own disputes, so parents have to set an example and teach them dispute resolution skills. Encourage children to discuss their feelings about their siblings honestly, while steering them away from anger. Children must learn that it takes two to fight, so it never matters who "started it."
-
References
- Photo Credit reading with mum image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
