• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

  • Parenting Resources
  • Teacher Resources
  • Kindergarten Teacher Resources
  • Behavior Charts
    • Toddler Behavior Chart
    • Preschool Behavior Chart
    • Behavior Charts with your Favorite Characters
    • Daily Behavior Chart
    • Weekly Behavior Chart
    • Monthly Behavior Chart
  • Chore Chart
    • Chore Chart Template
      • Chore Charts for Boys
      • Chore Charts for Girls
      • Magnetic Chore Chart
      • Coloring Chore Charts
      • Family Chore Charts
      • Chore Wheel
    • Age appropriate chores
    • Ten ways to get your kids to do chores
  • Potty Chart
    • Potty Training Tools
    • How to Potty Train
    • Potty Rewards
  • Sticker Chart
  • About
  • Behavior Charts
    • Behavior Charts with your Favorite Characters
    • Toddler Behavior Chart
    • Preschool Behavior Chart
  • Charts for Kids
  • Free Teacher Resources
  • Incentive Charts
  • Kindergarten Teacher Resources
  • Printable Certificates
  • Printer Friendly Behavior Charts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Reward Charts for Multiple Kids
  • Subscribe to our Newsletter
  • Terms of Service
  • Behavior Charts and other Resources
    • 5 a Day Sticker Charts
    • Coloring Reward Charts
      • More Black and White Reward Charts
    • Reward Charts
    • Using Reward Charts
  • Chore Charts
    • Chore Chart Template
    • Chore Charts for Boys
    • Chore Charts for Girls
    • Coloring Chore Charts
    • Family Chore Charts
    • Magnetic Chore Chart
    • Printer Friendly Chore Charts
    • Ten ways to get your kids to do chores
  • Star Charts
    • Star Charts for Kids
    • Using Star Charts
  • Potty Training Charts
  • Behaviour Charts
  • Child Discipline
  • Contact Us

Sibling Rivalry

Sibling RivalryWhat is sibling rivalry?

Sibling rivalry is the arguing and fighting between siblings – brothers and sisters – as a result of jealousy and competition. Some siblings are the best of friends some times and almost enemies other times. Most parents with more than one child face challenges related to sibling rivalry to a certain degree. It can cause much stress and frustration but can be reduced or even eliminated.

Sibling rivalry changes and takes on different forms as your children grow due to their evolving needs and personalities. When kids are very young they are usually very protective of their toys and you often hear siblings fighting constantly over toys and other belongings. Older kids are often protective of their independence and individuality and sibling fighting can occur when once child threatens another child’s independence or individuality.

How can sibling rivalry be productive?
The relationship between siblings can be used to provide children with skills that they will need later on in life in order to stand up for themselves while cooperating with others and compromising or negotiating if need be. This is an opportunity for parents to ensure that their children are equipped with the tools that they will later need with friends, in the workplace, in serious relationships, etc. For this reason, sibling rivalry should be dealt with not only for a calmer atmosphere at home or for your nerves but for your children’s’ future. Although, the relationship between siblings is unique and not necessarily related to other relationships in life feelings of jealousy, competition and anger can always be present to a certain degree in other relationships.

What causes sibling rivalry?

There are many reasons for sibling rivalry.

Jealousy and Competition – These are the main reasons for sibling rivalry. Children often feel that their siblings receive preferential treatment. This can be in the form of more attention or more of anything received as positive (such as toys or possessions) or less of things perceived as negative (such as discipline). They often perceive these differences even when they do not exist or when differences are so small that they would normally go unnoticed.

Individual personalities and temperaments – Children often want to define who they are as individuals while showing that they are separate from their siblings. Siblings are often very different and their unique differences in personalities can cause them to fight or get along. For example, if two children both like to get their own way there will be more fighting than in a family where one child is more laid back and prefers to compromise than be in situations with conflict.

Different needs – Siblings often have different needs. In certain cases, this difference may be more extreme such as when one child has special needs. Other children often resent the fact that one child gets more attention and perceives it as preferential treatment.

Family dynamics – The way parents resolve conflicts often sets an example for their children. If children see their parents arguing among themselves or with others in an aggressive manner they might think that this is how a conflict should be dealt with. Set an example and make sure that you yourself manage your anger and deal with conflicts or disagreements in a calm and respectful manner.

The way parents deal with their children’s conflicts can often cause even more sibling rivalry. For example, if one parent is always busy with other things such as work and does not pay much attention to the children other than when they are fighting they might continue to fight in order to get the attention that they need and want from their parent. If parents constantly side with one child when they fight it may cause even more sibling rivalry.

How to Prevent Sibling Rivalry

Using Reward Charts to Help Overcome Sibling Rivalry

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jerilyn

    March 6, 2013 at 10:20 am

    Hey! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so
    I came to look it over. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers!
    Fantastic blog and excellent design.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Charts

  • Reward Charts for Kids
  • Chore Chart
  • Behavior Charts
  • Behavior Contract
  • Behaviour Charts (British Version)
  • Printable Certificates
  • Feelings Chart
  • Potty Chart
  • Sticker Chart
  • Charts for Kids
  • Incentive Charts
  • Printable Certificates
  • Reward Charts by Character
  • Reward Charts for Multiple Kids
  • Sleep Problems
  • Star Charts
  • Sticker Charts
  • Routine Charts
  • Multiplication Chart Printable

Let’s Keep in Touch

facebook contact pinterest

Footer

Privacy Policy

About

Contact Us

DMCA.com Protection Status

Permission is granted to print any of our images in hard copy for personal or commercial use.

Any other use of our images – including distribution, reproduction, modification and/or public display – on the internet without giving credit to this website or without receiving prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

Terms of Service

© 2021
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Facebook Messenger
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok