Sibling Rivalry

A psychological conflict to be tackled wisely!

Photo by Juliane Liebermann on Unsplash

It was a weekday. She went to her workplace, but she couldn’t concentrate on her work.

What are they doing?

Are they hitting each other?

But she had pleaded with the elder one, the girl, not to react. She knew that the girl's little bit of annoyance could give rise to a lot of turmoil. The boy was younger than her, but physically, he was stronger.

Her two children were just the opposite. The daughter was frail. She would always be dominated by her brother, robust and sturdy.

He would eat her portion of chicken, and his sister would shout at him and cry. And then what...?

Ha ha ha... Like a villain, he would grin and would burst into laughter and would say, "You would have a stomachache if you consumed so many pieces."

But when he had projects for social science, he would start flattering her.

"Didi, you see! My friend had been praising you a lot. Your didi can draw very well. 😀 Why don't you take help from her?" He was telling me.

"Don't be so funny. I know your tricks. Next you would ask me to write and draw for your project."

The door was locked. She had the key. Coming back home, she opened the door and found Rima, her daughter, sitting on a chair. Rivu, her son, was tying her with a rope.

"What is this?"

"Mom, you only told me not to react," Rima said.

"Rivu! This is not fair. How can you treat your Didi like this?

"Mom! You locked the door. I couldn’t go out to play. I asked her to do my project. She was not doing it. So I punished her."

She was absolutely awestruck!

"Shame on you! Your didi is far better than you are. You must say sorry to her for what you have done,” She reacted.

"Yes, Mom! I know that you never focus on me and love her more than me. Why did you give her the Cadbury stealthily?

You could have given a portion of it to me!"

This was the scenario.

But when they grew up, they became good friends.

These are some of the interesting facts that boosted the charm of boring life, yet Sibling Rivalry is a complex psychological output.

What is Sibling Rivalry?

Sibling Rivalry denotes the emotional conflicts that occur between children, especially brothers and sisters. The spirit of competition between the siblings gives rise to disagreement based on parental attention to academic or personal achievements.

How to tackle it!

Never compare your children.

This would create the feeling of rivalry against his or her sibling.

Try to remove the feelings of the underprivileged child, as he is younger.

Try to convince the elder one about the responsibilities as an elder brother or sister.

Encourage cooperation. Their tasks would be divided between them, and teamwork should be encouraged.

Every child is unique in their behavior and actions. Meet their individual needs. Do not treat them identically.

Try to build their strength individually. Indulge in the activities where both can participate equally.

Sibling Rivalry offers challenges but growth as well. It happens in every family with more than one child. It’s a common and unavoidable aspect of every family with a number of children. As a parent ,you have to handle it with patience, understanding and mindfulness.