Children are usually very explicit when it comes to expressing themselves. They may not hesitate to express love, ʜᴀᴛᴇ, sᴀᴅɴᴇss, ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ, or other such emotions. It’s an absolutely normal reaction to have, and it should not be disregarded. It could be quite ʜᴀʀᴍʟᴇss, but it could be ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴜᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ too. Because ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ is a complex and powerful emotion. It could lead to ᴜɴʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴇɴᴠʏ, and even ʜᴀᴛʀᴇᴅ. Therefore, it’s essential to address it, so your kids understand how to navigate through it. Here are sixs ways in which you can help your child overcome their ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ towards a sibling:
- Say No To Comparison: One of the ᴡᴏʀsᴛ things you can do to your children is to compare them. Every child is different, and you have to learn to appreciate them for who they are. If you start to compare your kids, they might become ᴏᴠᴇʀʟʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴠᴇ and start feeling like they’re being ᴘɪᴛᴛᴇᴅ against each other.
- Divide responsibilities equally: If the children Fɪɢʜᴛ with one another, it can’t be the case that only one is ɢᴜɪʟᴛʏ in the ᴄᴏɴFʟɪᴄᴛ . Besides, the roles of “ᴠɪᴄᴛɪᴍ” and “ʙᴜʟʟʏ” often switch among siblings. So, sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟɪsᴛs suggest that parents get to the core of the ᴄᴏɴFʟɪᴄᴛ and make both sides face responsibilities for their actions.
- Listen to your children and respect their feelings: During a ғɪɢʜᴛ, most children are Fʀᴜsᴛʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ and emotional. Listen to your children and respect their feelings. Although their emotions are not an excuse for ɴᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ or ᴀɢɢʀᴇssɪᴠᴇ ʙᴇʜᴀᴠɪᴏʀ, children will be more likely to cooperate if they feel they are being heard. If your child starts to ʜɪᴛ, reiterate that ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ is not ᴛᴏʟᴇʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ and is ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛᴀʙʟᴇ. Tell them that using their words is the only way to solve a problem and you’ll be there to hear them out.
- Show them that it is great to have a sibling: You can motivate a caring relationship between them by reading books and showing cartoons about how it is great to have siblings, teachers advise. And shows the importance of the sister’s relationship.
- No Place For Gᴇɴᴅᴇʀ Bɪᴀs: Parents often treat children differently based on their ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ. Girls are expected to be soft, shy, and pretty, and boys are expected to be strong and not express their feelings. But if you don’t let your son play with the same toy as your daughter because the toy is ‘for girls,’ the boy may start to become ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs . Teach them about ᴇǫᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ, respect, consent, and kindness from a young age. They should know that these values are important irrespective of any ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ.
- Accept The Emotions: ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ is a very real emotion, and your children feeling it is not strange. When you notice your kid is ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs of their sibling, accept the emotion and tell them that what they’re feeling is valid. They should understand that it’s absolutely normal to feel ɴᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ emotions. Teach them to ᴄᴏᴘᴇ with those feelings so that they can learn to ᴅᴇᴀʟ with them in a healthy way.
- Make your child laugh: Everyone loves a good laugh! When your child is acting out because of ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ, try to switch up the topic and make them laugh. This technique can be tricky because it could make the child feel that you’re making fun of them if you do not handle the situation delicately.
- Spend Quality Time: Most of the time, children feel ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs of their siblings because their attention gets ᴅɪᴠɪᴅᴇᴅ ᴜɴᴇǫᴜᴀʟʟʏ. To ensure this doesn’t happen, keep a tab on how much time you spend with each child and make sure that it’s balanced. What’s also important is how to spend that exclusive time with them.
