Sibling Rivalry
At the core, kids are oriented by attachment. So, they’re always paying close attention to us, their parents - as we are the ones that help them to literally survive, by providing them with food, shelter and water.
The fact of the matter is their siblings also need us so yes, in a way they can be perceived as threats. This is often why they’re not nice to each other.
One-on-one time with your kid without your phone, is the number one best intervention. This builds connection and helps them feel more secure in your unique relationship.
Also, just naming what is going on can be really helpful. Wondering out loud. If you see one kiddo is jealous of the other, leveling with them about how hard that is can be reassuring.
EG. One child is really good at something (or lots of things) that the other child isn’t. Normalizing this removes the ‘aloneness’ of what your kiddo might be struggling with.
So, take a step back to understand what’s underlying and spend some time attending to your connection. It will no doubt decrease the fighting that you perhaps thought you had no control over.
