Sunday, October 9, 2011

Possible Resolution Sibling Conflicts

By Rose Kennedy


Nearly every family experiences sibling rivalry of some type as their children grow up. It's natural for them to be competitive and do such things as tattle on one another. How parents handle it is important.

One way to deal with tattling is the "passive parenting method." Here's how it works.

In passive parenting, parents have to first set ground rules for tattling. Tell your kids when it is OK for someone to tattle, such as when a child is being injured or when a child is being destructive. Let them know that if they tattle about minor things, that they will be the one getting punished.

It works like this. When your child comes to you with a complaint about their sibling, hear them out. Respond with a general statement like, "That's too bad," or "I bet you hate it when they do that?" Say something noncommittal that can be applied to many situations. Don't offer to correct the problem.

If your child persists in tattling, simply repeat your noncommittal statement. They may get frustrated but it will help them to solve their own problems. This method can be effective in many situations.

In other instances, let your children get involved in the rule-making. That way, when problems arise, they will know what response is acceptable for the situation. For example, privacy becomes more and more important to children as they grow up. If your child likes to keep his bedroom a certain way it may upset him when his siblings disturb it.

After some discussion, you and your child may decide that it will be a house rule, that each child must ask permission to enter another's bedroom.

Involving your children in the rulemaking process teaches them how to solve problems in an effective way and get along with others.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment