Helping Siblings Get Along
If you have more than one child, you're bound to have some sibling rivalry. It's very, very hard for children to have to share us. In fact, when a younger sibling is born, virtually all children worry that they aren't good enough -- why else would their parents have gotten a newer, younger, model?
In addition to sibling rivalry, kids can have personality clashes, or clashes because they're different ages and want different things --or because they're close in age and want the same things!
Finally, like other humans who live together, even the most loving siblings have bad days and conflicts. And kids don't have the perspective to know it's not necessarily the other person's fault, or the skills to work out differences.
But your children can be friends for life, and your parenting can prevent and even transform sibling tensions. How?
Start Here:
Siblings 101: Top Ten Tips to Help Siblings Get Along
All siblings will fight, but there's a lot parents can do to help kids get along better and appreciate each other more and become friends for life.
Read MoreParenting Siblings - Videos
If you have more than one child, you'll have some sibling rivalry. These 4 videos show you how to help your children stop fighting and start connecting.
Read More10 Tips to Foster a Sweet Sibling Relationship From the Start
Welcoming a new baby? Here are ten ideas to foster a terrific relationship between your children, right from the start -- even if you're sleep deprived!
Read MoreWhy Kids Bicker and How To Help Them Stop
It's normal for siblings to have conflict and disagree. Here's how to coach your kids to learn how to resolve their arguments before they escalate.
Read MoreTeaching Kids To Share
We all want our children to be generous. But that isn't what they learn from forced sharing. Try self-regulated turns, which also strengthens sibling bonds.
Read MoreHow To Intervene In a Sibling Fight
Your guidance can help them develop more impulse control. They're both furious, but you can help them breathe through their rage and put it into words. Here's how.
Read MoreShould you make your child apologize?
Forcing children to apologize may be teaching all the wrong lessons. Here's what to do instead.
Read MoreBickering in the Backseat: How to Cope on the Way to School
Here's how to turn the tide when the tone gets tense in your car. If you address the reason kids are bickering, you can stop the fight before it starts.
Read More3 Tools To Dissolve Sibling Jealousy
Every child is bound to have some complicated feelings about their siblings. Here's your magic wand to minimize rivalry and sibling jealousy.
Read More7 Powerful Ways to Help Kids Develop Social Intelligence Skills Every Day
Next time there's a problem between your children, you don't need to sigh and wish it wasn't happening. You can welcome it as a teachable moment!
Read More12 Tips to Build a Stronger Sibling Bond
Here are 12 tips to help you foster a stronger sibling bond between your children by creating more positive interactions.
Read MoreCan You Prevent Sibling Fighting?
Conflict is a part of every human relationship, and kids learn from fighting. But you can reduce fighting, and make the fighting that does occur more civil. Here's how.
Read MoreWhen Your Older Child Hits the Little One: A Script
Did your toddler or preschooler just hit their little sibling? Of course you see red! Here's your script to intervene -- and prevent a recurrence!
Read MoreWhy Kids Hit Younger Siblings, and How To Help Them Stop
Emotions drive behavior, including sibling hitting. Here's how to create a safe space for your child to clear out those painful emotions, so love has a chance to grow.
Read MoreHelping Siblings Communicate Instead of Fight
Research shows that when we let siblings "work it out" without guidance, the more powerful child wins, which reinforces bullying behavior. There's a better way.
Read MoreWhen Your Toddler Grabs from the Baby
Compulsive grabbing isn't good for the baby, or the older child. Here's when to intervene, and how.
Read MoreHow to Help Each Child with Big Emotions
The hardest part of having more than one child is those times when they both need you at once. After all, your love may be unlimited, but you only have two hands. Here's your gameplan.
Read MoreStaying Calm When One Child Hurts the Other
Most parents say that when one child hurts another, it’s the hardest time for them to self-regulate. The truth is, the reason you “lose it” is that you feel powerless and the rage makes you feel better.
Read MoreEverybody's got a hungry heart, especially when siblings are involved.
If you want to change the behavior, help the child with the needs or emotions driving the behavior. Kids "act out" when they have big feelings they can't put into words.
Read MoreHow To Stop Your Toddler From Hitting Older Siblings
Sometimes it's the younger child, often a toddler, who initiates the brawling. Six reasons toddlers are aggressive with older siblings....and how to solve them.
Read MorePreventing Middle Child Syndrome
Studies have found that middle children are often less close to their parents and struggle with the "identity crisis" of not having a specific role in the family.
Read MoreSupporting Your Oldest Child
How can you give your oldest child the support she needs to thrive?
Read MoreSupporting Your Youngest Child
Younger sibs may idolize their older sibs and get demoralized trying to keep up. Here's how to empower your younger child to have a voice and speak up.
Read MoreSiblings Downloadable eBook
Craft a "sibling book" for a positive outlook on their bond. The provided Word template makes customization easy—alter the story, words, and images to suit your preferences. Download it here.
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