How to manage sibling rivalry if you are a parent: set ground rules and give positive reinforcement when they behave right
- Although experts believe there is nothing wrong with sibling rivalry, conflicts should be dealt with before they escalate
- Setting rules, helping them to resolve their arguments, giving them space and holding weekly meetings are some of the ways you can maintain harmony at home
Sibling rivalry is considered quite normal and seen as a part of family life – children often compete for the love and attention of their parents.
Although this type of familial conflict is unavoidable between siblings – even well into adulthood – it plays out in a more physical manner in young children. For example, it’s not uncommon for siblings to engage in fights that involve things like hair-pulling, biting, or even punching.
Experts believe there is nothing wrong with sibling rivalry, and that it can be healthy because it is a natural way for young children to express themselves. Children have no tact because they have not yet learned how to apply their conflict resolution skills, something which tends to come with age.
Christine Deschemin, a certified hypnotherapist and founder of the Hong Kong-based Renewed Edge Hypnotherapy Centre, says conflicts happen when siblings compete for their parents’ attention or for a family resource, like an object.