“Mommy! He’s looking at me!” – Sound all too familiar?
Most (if not all) siblings fight from time to time. It’s a normal part of growing up in a family; however, some siblings have a worse time than others. Some need a little intervention to help them learn to resolve conflict more peacefully. The adults in their lives might benefit from learning some very specific skills to help create a more peaceful home, as well.
As you read through this module, keep these points in mind:
- Competition and jealousy are natural: We are born with the tendency to compete. However, some people are more competitive than others. We just need to find a way to nudge the competitive natures of our children in a more positive direction.
- Rivalry – not all bad? We’re not kidding! Some researchers believe that kids learn valuable lessons from their squabbles with siblings. Parents need to think about how to help turn the fighting into opportunities to learn valuable skills.
- Social Skills: Parents can use sibling fights as an opportunity to teach children social skills. While learning to deal with siblings a child can learn about sharing, turn-taking, asking for help, and negotiation (amongst other skills).
- Handling Conflict: All people experience conflict in their lives - at school, in the community, and in the workplace. Kids can learn how to handle conflict in a positive manner when they are outside the home through interactions with their siblings.
- Opportunity for Practicing Problem-Solving: Learning the steps of problem-solving will serve the whole family well in life. We all need to know how to deal with all kinds of problems that we face everyday.
This module created by: LeAnna Webber, M.Ed., NCSP, School Psychologist.