Jealousy and competition are two of the most common causes of sibling rivalry. The fact of the matter is that, no matter how hard parents try to be fair to their children, every child will feel, at one point or another, feelings of jealousy toward their sibling or siblings. This jealousy may take many forms, and may have many different causes. With patience and understanding, however, parents can help children that are struggling with sibling rivalry and jealousy.

One of the areas that jealousy can cause sibling rivalry is in the area of parental attention. It is not uncommon for one child to feel as though a parent gives more time, attention, and even love to a sibling. This can cause severe feelings of jealousy. A child may feel that a sibling is a “favorite” to one or more of the parents. While it is often true that a parent may be in some ways closer to one of their children than another, it is important for a parent to make sure that all of their children feel loved, and get the attention that they need. In this same vein, it is important that the household rules and disciplinary procedures are followed equally, to prevent jealousy among siblings.

Another area that jealousy can cause sibling rivalry has to do with the ages of the siblings. For example, if a sixteen year-old sibling earns their driver’s license, a younger sibling can very easily be jealous. Older children will, of course, have more privileges than younger children. During these times, it is important to help the younger sibling to understand that the older sibling has those privileges because the older sibling is now capable of handling additional responsibilities. At the same time, it is not uncommon for an older sibling to be jealous of a younger sibling. Especially when a baby is first born, the extra time, care, and attention that parents have to devote to the baby can make older siblings feel jealous, and can lead to sibling rivalry later on in life.

Posted in Parenting

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