Sibling rivalry

What causes sibling rivalry? 

* Each child tries to define who they are as an individual and wants to show they are separate from their sibling(s).

* One child may feel that he/she is getting an unequal amount of parental attention. 

* Younger children may want to copy or join in with an older sibling's activities, which can annoy the older child.

What can be done about it? 

* Parents must treat their children fairly, rather than equally. Age must be taken into account.

* Siblings should be encouraged to co-operate with each other, not to be aggressive or competitive. 

* Siblings need space to be on their own sometimes with their own things and their own friends.

However, time is the great healer. Research shows that after the age of 25, siblings get on with each other much better.