4 Tips to Develop Unity among Siblings
Siblings stay together most of their lives, have each other as their first mate as well as first fight opponent. They can be the best of friends as well as worst of the enemies. It truly depends on how you raise them. When raised well, they are there for each other all their lives. When not, there are always issues cropping up which go well beyond childhood.
Some tips to raise your kids well to turn them into happier siblings are:
1. Proper Age Gap between Children
Most of the problems with siblings develop because the elder sibling feels neglected when the newborn comes. The elder one is a child but has to act as an adult which can cause problems. They can’t understand what goes on and why the newborn or the toddler requires more attention, and why their parents don’t have the same time and patience with them which they once used to have.
Best way to avoid that is to make sure there’s enough age-gap, and then instead of competition, the elder sibling considers the younger one as a responsibility.
2. Alternatives to Sharing- Taking Turns
Sharing is another way that can foster competition in siblings. Instead, taking turns can help solve all the issues between the siblings. Taking turns also prepares them for life, as well as gives them valuable lessons which will go a long way in promoting a quality life.
3. Keep a Check on any Rivalry
There might be occasions where competition between siblings turns to rivalry. This can in turn affect their long-term prospects. The best way is to keep a check and don’t let competition enter in between the relationship of siblings. They may compete with each other in terms of sports or games- or other levels, especially if they are twins. In that case, you’ll need to manage them through the process and guide them into the correct way of competing and gamesmanship.
4. Use the Past and Stories
Use the past for inspiration for present and future. Be it the stories of their childhood and how they cared for each other or what the elder sibling thought and promised before the younger one came in, or even the stories of how you or your partner had relationships with siblings. All forms of positive stories can help in creating the right atmosphere for happier sibling relationships.
When managed well, siblings become the shield of each other in tough times of life. Your responsibility is in making sure no undue rivalry develops and they have the love and respect for each other which any siblings naturally have. In fact, siblings are the most naturally linked familial relationships- unlike most other relationships including husband and wife.
