Moms of multiples know the pain of constant squabbling and bickering. It can be easy for parents to feel like a referee, prison guard, or litigator.
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You cannot control how your kids feel about anything- including each other. And if you or someone you love suffers from fractured sibling relationships, it might be a pretty big worry on your heart. If you want to foster healthy and loving relationships between your children, check out these tips.
Fostering a Loving Sibling Bond
- Temper your emotions when helping them with their emotions. The more understanding and calm you are, the easier it will be to diffuse your children.
- Foster a sense of care and responsibility between your children. Remind your kids to look out for one another. I remember my mom pulling me aside once and whispering that my brother looked to me as an example- so I should try to be a good one. To this day, I still remember her words.
- Create opportunities for your kids to have special sibling time together.
- Prioritize family time and force a little close proximity. Growing up, I was not allowed to bring friends on family vacations. “You have your brother for a friend,” my parents would say. I didn’t love it then, but they were right. My brother and I are still best friends.
- Encourage them to support one another. Your kids don’t need to attend every practice or scrimmage, but encourage them to attend their siblings’ games or competitions and cheer them on!
Your kids will not always get along but remember that a little tension is helpful. Your kids will learn patience, compromise, and forgiveness along the way. Pour love into your children and watch them grow in that love, individually and together.
Sources:
- PBS Kids for Parents. “How to Foster Positive Sibling Relationships.” [Online] Available at: https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-foster-positive-sibling-relationships
The Pregnancy & Parenting Care Center is the place for families to receive the support and resources necessary to make life affirming decisions and build stronger families. For more information, please visit https://thepregnancyandparentingcenter.com/services/.
Audrey Mattevi, Reporting