No matter what the age difference is between your children, the fact is that the quality of their relationship matters in a huge way.
Sibling bonds play a huge role in the way that we interact with partners, friends, and other people, later in life.
Parents play a huge role in nurturing good sibling relationships, helping to reduce conflict and sibling rivalry.
Giving your children the tools to work through conflicts in a respectful and constructive manner helps them to develop the kind of close relationship that they will carry with them for their entire lives.
HOW TO ENCOURAGE GOOD SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS
DON’T COMPARE
Never compare one child’s skills, behaviors or smarts to those of their brother or sisters. While this can sometimes be a hard thing to keep in check, doing this only facilitates resentment and rivalry between siblings.
GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT
Oftentimes, you will be able to see a pattern when it comes to the way your children treat each other.
If they fight, it may be because one just wants the others attention, are competing for your attention or maybe they are just tired or bored.
Attempt to spot the pattern and then address the issues that facilitate the conflict.
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAMWORK
Give them tasks to work on together as a team.
One of the best ways to build a sense of cooperation and teamwork among your children is to have them engage in activities and exercises that encourage them to work together.
Parents can give their kids projects or chores that make working together crucial to the completion of that project or chore.
It may also be a good idea to give them a task that gives them the chance to race against the grownups. This gives the kids a common goal to beat Mom and Dad and will make them work together better to achieve that goal.
TEACH THEM RESPECT
Encourage your children to treat others the way that they would want to be treated, with empathy and kindness.
Teaching them respect is an essential key to building good relationships.
Teach them things about boundaries, speaking in a kind tone, listening to their sibling’s opinions and feelings and being mindful of their personal space.
HAVE FUN TOGETHER AS A FAMILY
The family who plays together stays together.
Families that spend lots of time together doing activities are less likely to have conflicts. These activities can include camping in the backyard or crossing items off of a bucket list.
Just make sure to participate in activities that everyone will enjoy. This will help to strengthen the bond with the entire family and show your children a healthy relationship dynamic.
Encouraging healthy sibling relationships is an important part of parenting.
Just make sure never to compare them to each other, observe their conflicts and find their catalyst and encourage them to work together as a team.
A family that respects each other and spends time together, is a solid and healthy place for your children to grow up and learn to build strong relationships with others.
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