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Community Corner

Mom Talk: Sibling Rivalry

One Mom begs for an answer: What do you do when your kids go at it?

Let me begin by saying we all love our children.

But this love doesn't cover up the overwhelming desire to bonk their heads together when they are involved in a sibling spat.

That's right - sibling rivalry.

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For you single-child families, or those who were fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be an only child, you may not understand more than the pop psychology of such rivalries.

Let me say they are annoying, to say the least, and seemingly neverending.

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"Stop touching me."

"Mom (insert so and so's name here) won't let me have a turn!"

Mom, Mom, Mom, but, but, I was just, knock it off......you name it. It's often thought that sibling rivalry is due to birth order. Proposed roles that one is supposed to assume when the oldest, middle or baby of a family take precedent. Childhood competition for parental units affection or attention. Animosity towards the opposing siblings accomplishments. Individual temperments.

The reasons may vary but one thing is for certain β€” when all is said and done it seems that contrary to what our children would like to believe, they love each other immensely. It's them against one another or the world, depending on what the circumstances call for. You know the routine: "No one calls my sister that name except me!"

Fair enough.

But parents, how are we to deal with it? Aside from family bonding time, open communication and even dates not involving the other sibling (obvious options I've tried with teens, who still engage in the head-butting), what do you do?

This is my brooding thought of the day. Share yours. Are your kids angels who experience no such qualms with each other, or do you maybe have an extreme case of civil war?

I'm dying to know.

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