facebook

discount15% off on packages Quick Buy
Blogs / Sibling Rivalry

Sibling Rivalry and Identity Formation | Parent Coach

sampada-kathuria
Sampada Kathuria

Counseling Psychologist

27 Dec, 2019
1.4k Views
Sibling Rivalry and Identity Formation

Sibling rivalry is the kind of competition, fighting, and jealousy that usually exists between brothers and sisters. It is a concern for almost all parents with two or more children. It begins after the birth of a second child and can be stressful and frustrating for parents because it usually continues throughout childhood.

When they compete in childhood for the attention of their parents, it is natural for them to fight with each other. This competition continues from parents' attention to claim on toys and also affects children's social and emotional development and thereby ultimately affecting their intelligence and sense of identity. Sometimes the siblings tickle each other one at a time and later fight like enemies, but the parents rarely take it seriously because they always come back again.

What Causes Sibling Rivalry?

What Causes Sibling Rivalry

The following are the causes of sibling rivalry:

Each child is competing to define who he or she is as a person. They want to show that they are different from their siblings and try to find their talents, activities, and interests. When children feel that their parents are not giving equal attention and responsiveness. In other cases, they may feel their relationship with their parents is threatened by the arrival of a new child.

The developmental stages of your children affect how mature they are and how well they can share your attention and live with each other. Children who are bored, hungry, or tired get frustrated and start quarreling. When children don't know the positive ways that can help them initiate playful activities, and also attract attention for siblings,  they quarrel more. 

Stressed parents can reduce the number of times that can be given to children and this increases sibling rivalry. Children engage more in conflicts if they are not getting proper time for fun with their family members. Stress in children's lives can shorten their fuses, and reduce their ability to tolerate frustration, which can lead to more conflict. Parents’ behavior with their children and reaction to conflicts affects how well siblings can be brought up.

Preventing Sibling Rivalry

Preventing Sibling Rivalry

It can be very frustrating to see the kids fighting with each other and can be stressful for parents. Although it is difficult to know how to stop a fight, yet you should get involved to help your children get along.

The following are the ways to prevent sibling rivalry:

1. Stay Calm, Quiet, and in control:

You should pay attention to what your children are doing and in this way, you can intervene before a fight begins. If you remain cool and quiet your children will also learn to do the same. Thus it can be a way to prevent fights among siblings.

2. Create a Cooperative Environment

You should avoid a comparison between your children, and encourage them to favor each other. You should not forget to set an example and create opportunities for collaboration and compromise. They interact in the same way as their parents interact. For example, if their parents argue loudly, then they are more likely to do this and see it as an appropriate way to deal with their problems.

3. Celebrate Individuality

Children fight less if they find that their parents appreciate them individually,  and not comparing them to each other. You should start by avoiding labels and tell each child that they are special to you by spending time with them individually. If your one child likes to run outside, then you should soak up the sunshine with them. If the other child likes to spend time reading a book, then you should also help him to read the book. 

4. Plan Fun Family Time

Plan Fun Family Time

You should plan family time fun activities such as family dinners, playing board, picnics, holiday trips, etc. It is a great way for children to bond and share positive memories together. 

They will spend a good time with each other because of these moments and thus it will help them bond more and quarrel less.

5. Treat Kids Fairly-not Equally

Fairness is very necessary for parents because such fairness will go a long way. But fairness doesn’t always mean equal and so the behavior towards each child should not always be equal. Rewards and punishment should be tailored to the individual needs of your children. For example; you should not give each child the same toy, instead, you should give them different toys that suit their age and interests. 

6. Pay Attention To The Time of Conflicts 

You should pay attention to the time when they usually get into a conflict. For example, you should notice that if there are more chances of conflict before sleeping or when the children are hungry before meals. Then perhaps, a change in the daily routine such as a well-planned quiet activity, an earlier meal, or snack can help your kids’ conflicts.

6. Teach Them Positive Ways

You should teach your children positive ways to get attention from each other. You should teach them how to contact another child and ask them to play and share their toys and belongings.

You should also teach them to make friends and play with their friends and become social. 

7. Don’t Make Comparisons

Every child feels that he is unique and right and he is his own person and is only rated in relation to someone else. So you shouldn't make a comparison between your children.

Instead of comparison, you should give them their own goals and levels of expectation that relate only to them.

Final Words:

Finally, I can say that you should set aside alone time for each child if it is possible. When you are alone with a child, you should ask them which of the things they like about their brothers and sisters and which of the things about them bother them.

This will help you keep an eye on their relationships, and will also remind them that they probably have some positive feelings for each other.

MY FIT BRAIN with the team of counselors is providing online counseling services, making it easier for their clients, to seek a solution to the problem they are facing in their life.

Feel free to contact us now !!

About Author
Sampada Kathuria
Sampada Kathuria
Counseling Psychologist New Delhi, India
  • Consultation:

    Online

  • Language:

    English

  • Expertise:

    Child Counseling, Couple Counseling, Work Stress, Job Stress, Mental Health

Book Consultation Now
Starting from
Rs. 500.00/30min*
sampada-kathuria
Sampada Kathuria

Counseling Psychologist

location New Delhi, India
star 250+ 4.7 Star Reviews
Book An Appointment
Categories

Latest Blogs

See All Blogs
Reasons why lying to your partner is not good in relationship

Marriage & Relationship

10 Reasons Why Lying To Your Partner Is ...
  • location Eshaa Pitty
  • markEnglish

Although it may not seem like a big deal, lying to your partner can have serious cons...

Read Now
Reasons why you have regular mood swings

Personality

10 Reasons Why You Have Regular Mood Swi...
  • location Isha Sokhal
  • markEnglish

Experiencing sudden changes in mood, such as being happy one minute and sad or angry ...

Read Now
Reasons Why You Are Bad At Doing Sex

Sexology

10 Reasons Why You Are Bad At Doing Sex ...
  • location Dr. Neha Mehta
  • markEnglish

Many people worry about not being good at sex. But it's equally important to know...

Read Now

Skip the travel!
Take online consultation
from top therapists.

100% Private audio & video calls, starting from just ₹199

Start your Journey with 15% Discounted packages
  • travel
  • travel
  • travel
  • travel
travel-side