Sibling relationships can be hard to foster at times. They are together almost all the time, and they can be best friends, worst enemies, or both – all in the course of one day! As parents, we long to have our children have positive relationships with each other. How can we help foster that?
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4 Ways to Improve Sibling Relationships
Talk with your kids
The first way to help improve sibling relationships is for us to talk with our kids – find out what things bother them that their siblings do. Then, we need to help the other children see how they can deal with the issues that bother them? We can also help guide conversations with our children about giving siblings space when they need it.
Help guide their time
The second way to help improve sibling relationships is to help them guide their time together. Give specific times when the children are supposed to play together – and times when they can play apart. You may even need to help guide the activities they choose to do together. If you find a certain game or activity always causing strife, limit that game – or talk through rules or expectations that can make the play go smoother.
Listen to your kids
The third thing you can do to help improve the sibling relationships in your home is be willing to listen. Sometimes, as parents, we can be quick to try to fix all the struggles. We don’t want to hear the tattle telling – so instead of listening, we fix the problem or separate them. Then, when the children go back to playing together later, the conflict isn’t really resolved. We need to remember that we are teaching them to resolve conflict, and that it does require listening and conflict management on our part.
Engage with your kids
The fourth thing you can do to help improve the sibling relationships of your children is to engage. More than listening – engage in play with your children. Speak edifying words about each of them to the others. Point out the positive things. Our children are looking to us as examples on how to play, and how to have relationships. Let them see you work things out with others. Be a part of their world so that you truly know how they are treating each other. The more time you invest into their relationships with each other, the stronger those relationships will be.
Sibling relationships can be tough. We see our siblings at their best- but also at their worst. However, these are lifelong relationships, and as parents we want to help foster those.
How do you foster healthy sibling relationships in your home?
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