A family is like an institution. Dad, mum and children. Not to forget, unlike any other institution, a family is connected by one critical thing- blood.
A member of the same body shouldn’t quarrel, right? But they do. I hope you are not shocked, I’m not!
There is one disease that every family faces and has to deal with.
Sibling rivalry!
it drives parents nuts, and it’s inevitable if you’ve got more than one child in your home.
So how do you handle it, without losing your cool and making the situation a whole lot worse?
There are probably loads of ways, but here are some tactics, well suited for those of us striving to be positive parents, that I’ve tried and can vouch for –
1) Be Tough on Hands-Off Policy
Sibling rivalry can manifest itself in many forms including hitting, name-calling, bickering and immature behavior. But all these happen less as they continue to grow.
Since you now understand this, be strict to your family and teach them that hitting is not the best way to solve problems. The hands-off policy gives parents something to refer to when kids respond physically to conflict.
2) Do Not Put a Child In Charge
The traditional system of the elder child acting as ‘deputy parent’ should not be accepted anymore. Treat every child as equal and give each a responsibility.
Putting one child in charge in my mind, this would be like laying an explosive charge and giving them matches to play with. Putting one child in charge of the other doesn’t work until they have the skills and knowledge to exert their authority fairly.
Instead, I tell them, “You are both in charge of yourselves. You both know what’s right, and what’s wrong, and I trust you both to do the right thing.”
3) Listening Between the Line
It is important that as a parent, you need to be fair in your judgments especially when intervening during their quarrels. Be ready to listen to everyone and make a fair judgment without discrimination depending on age.
All must know the difference between what is wrong and write. Just as we have said above that regular quarrel is not good for a family, sometimes you may be too tired to even intervene. some arguments can be thwarted by listening in to your children’s conversation, and stopping arguments before they start.