Sibling Rivalry??? What to do?????

@pookie (24)
United States
September 7, 2006 1:24pm CST
I know, that when my kids have a fight, or one is trying to up the other, my skin crawls. I hate to think that they're not the best of friends. Of course, the logical side of my brain tells me that it's unrealistic to expect children to never have a tiff. How do you handle it? Do you demand that your kids apologize to one another after a fight? Or do you simply look the other way? And how do you introduce your toddler to his new baby brother or sister, hopefully avoiding early feelings of jealousy?
4 responses
@mridig (202)
• India
8 Jan 07
Jealousy typically refers to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that occur when a person believes a valued relationship is being threatened by a rival. The word jealousy stems from the French jalousie, formed from jaloux (jealous), and further from Low Latin zelosus (full of zeal), and from the Greek word for "ardour, zeal" (with a root connoting "to boil, ferment"; or "yeast"). Jealousy is a familiar experience in human relationships. It has been reported in every culture and in many forms where researchers have looked. [1] [2] [3] It has been observed in infants as young as 5-6 months old and in adults over 65 years old. [4] [5] [6] [7] It has been an enduring topic of interest for scientists, artists, and theologians. Psychologists have proposed several models of the processes underlying jealousy and have identified individual differences that influence the expression of jealousy. Sociologists have demonstrated that cultural beliefs and values play an important role in determining what triggers jealousy and what constitutes socially acceptable expressions of jealousy. Biologists have identified factors that may unconsciously influence the expression of jealousy. Artists have explored the theme of jealousy in photographs, paintings, movies, songs, plays, poems, and books. Theologians have offered religious views of jealousy based on the scriptures of their respective faiths. Despite its familiarity, however, people define jealousy in different ways. Some even mislabel it as being protective of something or someone, when the fact is, it's really simply possessive jealousy itself; and many feel they don't possess effective strategies for coping with this form of jealousy. [8]
@arinig (1376)
• India
27 Nov 06
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dont worry,those who fights a lot ill have good affection behind them.Actually me and my bro ill often have fights my mom too get tensed as u do.but now its little opposte we r as friends.....u often say to one another she/he is ur own bro/sis u have to do her dis/dat....and to share whatever they get....this maintains a bond between them...but dont forget to scold them equally....if u do so.its all my experience...what i expected from my mom thts all.just my opinion to u.....dont mistake me
• United States
17 Sep 06
make them spend time together or seperate them away from each other for a whole year.
• United States
25 Nov 06
you make sure that you dun turn all of you attention to the new baby when it's born and make sure that the other child feels included in the baby holding process....also treat them fairly in punishment and achievements....dun take too much interest into one child or the other child is going to feel some sort of resentment....and yes make them apologize after a fight and make them realize that they're going to need each other wen they leave home and that they have is eachother....instill that and the rivalry will seize of exist