Sibling Rivalry

“Will you two STOP it!”

This is all I find myself saying these days. I never thought sibling rivalry would start so young.

It is just horrendous some days. The jealousy, the hitting, the yelling, the crying, the screaming!

I have been told that sibling rivalry occurs more frequently in children who are closer in age…….well my two are only 14.5 months apart, so there you go!

The situation at times is very reminiscent of a swimmer at the beach, off in the distance there is a shark fin in sight and it is getting closer and closer. The swimmer reacts and starts thrashing about and screaming!

This is what happens here….Miss Z is playing with say, her doll house; Master M comes crawling in from the other room.

*cue the jaws music**

Miss Z catches him out of the corner of her eye, she begins to scream, a tantrum ensues; she jumps around and tries hitting Master M with anything within reach.

All the toys are “hers”, but Master M knows what he wants and will go after it. He is a tough cookie with a strong grip. He gives as good as he gets in a game of tug-o-war over a Dora doll.

There always seem to be strong competition for everything; our attention and affection, toys, food, the TV, you name it, it can get quite intense.

It is hard to come up with a solution or to reason with them when they are young and do not seem to understand.

I realise that the older they get the more their rivalry will change, it won’t disappear, just what they are competing for will be different. In their teenage years there will be fighting over friends, parental approval, compliments, academic and sporting achievements too. Trying to outdo each other in every way possible.

As my mum used to say to my brother and I when we were younger, and had been fighting and competing against each other ALL day:

“You two will grow up to love and appreciate each other one day!”

We laughed at the time but now I can say ,I guess she was right, Mum’s always are!

How do you remedy this sort of situation in your household? In particular if your kids started as young as mine.

89 Comments

- - tinkz said
  - 25 Aug 2013
    9:51 pm
M bro and i used to fight all the time but there is nothing we wouldnt do for each other now
- ginoula5 replied
  
  18 Aug 2014 , 2:54 pm
  We are the same too here 🙂
- - kymaree said
  - 22 Aug 2013
    9:15 pm
So glad I have my sister in my life, all the fights were worth it.

- - welshmummy said
  - 21 Aug 2013
    7:57 pm
We must have been very lucky with our boys. There’s 5 years between them and they have rarely argued. The eldest as always been a really easy going boy very much a artist while my youngest son is more science orientated, so they had different interested ( apart from Lego) so didn’t have much to clash about. My sister on the other hand boys fight every single day.

- - a-edwards said
  - 12 Aug 2013
    8:05 pm
Let me fight it out as my sis would say hahah

- - lynzstevo said
  - 10 Aug 2013
    12:28 pm
I can so relate, even after reading the first sentence I was like ‘thats me!’.. I feel like my most said sentences these days are ‘will you two stop it!’ and ‘whats going on?!’ I’m hoping it gets a little easier as they get older
- tahlia w replied
  
  16 Aug 2013 , 11:17 pm
  “What did you do now?!” said it the other day and daughter was outside by herself lol my bad
- - mrs harkness said
  - 02 Aug 2013
    8:29 pm
it would not be normal if the kids didn’t fight with each other

- - sunava said
  - 31 Jul 2013
    5:01 am
I also fought with my sister,its a part if growing up

- - mrsfritz said
  - 28 Jul 2013
    10:27 am
Good read. It brings back some unhappy memories.

- - a-edwards said
  - 25 Jul 2013
    12:55 pm
Razz up ur siblings it’s part of growing up . It brings u closer later in life

- - cenewell said
  - 10 Jul 2013
    1:49 pm
I think sibling rivalry happens regardless of the age bracket at some point in life. My sister and i were 3 years apart and used to have horrendous fights! Doesn’t make it very easy, but on the bright side, i have a great relationship with her now!! 🙂
- earthlydelites replied
  
  13 Jul 2013 , 4:14 pm
  I agree it happens to all of us but hopefully you grow out of it and appreciate one another when you’re a little older 😀
- - jenny9761 said
  - 09 Jul 2013
    3:23 pm
I can remember my sister and I having arguements when we where going up,

- - freeone1 said
  - 02 Jul 2013
    12:30 pm
Theres an eight year gap between my boys and the fights are worse than my girls who were 18months apart. I guess that’s just brotherly love lol

- - rustyblue said
  - 01 Jul 2013
    2:28 pm
The boys are 14 months apart -the older one got quite annoyed that the younger one was quicker to learn how to do things, until I told Mr older that the little one was only quicker because he learnt from his brother. Then the older one took great pride in the youngest’s achievements, saying he got it from his brother !

- - dannielle japp said
  - 29 Jun 2013
    8:20 pm
A thought provoking and interesting article

- - lynzstevo said
  - 28 Jun 2013
    4:45 pm
I think most kids do this. I think distraction could be key

- - ashyhatton said
  - 27 Jun 2013
    10:50 pm
my 3 boys are generally good together but OMFG when they fight, its ON like donkey kong!!!!

- - natct said
  - 19 Jun 2013
    9:45 am
I’m lucky my kids are very good together

- - zowieh said
  - 13 Jun 2013
    6:21 pm
great article. Thanks so much

- - rachkap said
  - 10 Jun 2013
    2:53 am
My brother and I used to fight nut I put it down to there being a 5 year gap. Maybe I was wrong.

- - teetee said
  - 01 Jun 2013
    3:32 pm
My daughters got on really well as children.