As much as we try to make our kids feel equally loved, we have been accused of favouritism at least once or twice. All the misbehaviour in our kids is driven by feeling upset or having unmet needs. You might survive personality clashes in your child, but sibling jealousy is inevitable. Whether it has a long-term positive or negative consequences, it all comes down to the parents. It is essential to help the child resolve the tangled up feelings that are triggering their aggression.
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Acknowledge your child’s emotions
Each child is bound to have some mixed feelings about their siblings, especially when they are much younger than them. Contrary to what some may think, anger and frustration is not something we should avoid. It might be hard for you to hear their anger at their sibling. But if they can talk about it, they wouldn’t have to act it out. This is the time to sit down, acknowledge their emotions because stuffing these negative emotions causes anxiety and rigidity.
To transform negative behaviour, give your child some help with their emotions. For example, when they said they hate their sibling or baby in the house. You should acknowledge their feelings by letting them know that you understand it’s hard, having a baby in the house. Let them know that they can always tell you when it’s hard and you are there to help them.
Stand firmly on empathy
Empathy is the crucial quality in lifelong social implications. It teaches your child if they want to be respected, they need to respect others in the first place. Helping your child to look at the world through the eyes of another person and putting themselves in their shoes is going to affect them. If you promote empathy in the first place, your child would understand the consequences of their behaviour.
You would definitely want your children to think through what they are about to do. For instance, your attention is always on your 3 months old baby and they felt neglected in some ways. It is essential to help your child to get behind the lens to understand your actions.
Strengthen your connection
Your first child believes that you couldn’t possibly love other siblings more than you love her. It is important to foster a team spirit between you and your child because family is the first social relationship they learn. Sometimes, the attention your child lost from their mom, he gains from another person.
It is essential to strengthen your relationship with your child by building one-on-one time with each child into your routine. For instance, you can have individual outings to the park or just the ice cream shop. Whatever your child says or does, you can try to see the situation from their point of view. Even when you have to set limits, you can always look for an opportunity for a warm smile, touch or comment.
By showing such affections, it rebuilds your connection with them so that they feel safe enough to show you those feelings. Children get along with their siblings when parents make it clear that all feelings are normal and acceptable, even while not all actions are not allowed. Sooner or later, they will appreciate the presence of their siblings.
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