| The mischievous son with an incredible knack for | | | | cooperation. The irony of sibling rivalry is that those |
| trouble who seems to delight in torturing his | | | | hostile feelings between siblings cannot be resolved |
| sister… The mildly deceptive daughter who | | | | until they are allowed to surface. By promoting an |
| takes great satisfaction in taking tattling to the | | | | environment that discourages or does not allow |
| extreme… Every time you try to help - the truth | | | | fighting, we perpetuate conflict and underlying feelings |
| gets twisted, fingers are pointed, and the fighting | | | | of hostility by failing to acknowledge them. Instead, |
| continues, even worse than before. Sound familiar? | | | | parents can create an atmosphere where hostile |
| Rest assured, as a parent you are not alone. | | | | feelings between siblings can be safely expressed and |
| Sibling rivalry is an age-old dynamic that has affected | | | | understood. |
| generations for as long as we can remember. Many | | | | Moreover, sibling rivalry creates a "Catch-22" for |
| family therapists have found that sibling rivalry can | | | | well-intentioned parents who play referee to put an |
| really impact quality of family life, family communication, | | | | end to the never-ending squabbles. No matter what |
| parental stress, and self-esteem in children. | | | | you do to end the fighting, one or both siblings will feel |
| Sibling rivalry can be best understood as children | | | | they have been treated unfairly; or that you have |
| engaging in an allout competition for their parents' love | | | | taken the other side, only to leave you looking like the |
| and attention. Approval and affection are at stake, and | | | | bad guy! |
| your children will go to great lengths to get it. It's a | | | | Now is the time to embrace the role of facilitator and |
| perfect breeding ground for conflict and envy over | | | | teacher where you encourage your children to settle |
| each others' accomplishments, privileges, and just | | | | their disputes on their own. After all, there is no better |
| about anything else you can imagine. | | | | teacher than you. Parents feel relieved to learn that |
| Gaining insight into the emotional fireworks behind | | | | they can successfully implement some concrete tools |
| sibling rivalry can really empower parents to improve | | | | while playing an invaluable role in restoring peace to |
| communication and change family roles to promote | | | | their family. |