As a parent of more than one child it’s probably often that you try to find ways to “keep the peace” within your household. It’s a long time habit of siblings to compete for their parents attention and to thrive to become individuals. The subject is sibling rivalry and many households with more than one child are dealing with it all over the world.

The best way to keep sibling rivalry at a minimum is to have the children play games or clean house in a way that compliments each child’s strength. If your children are still young and enjoy pretend play then you should supervise and have each child play a roll that makes them an important part of the playtime.

Such as pretend play food play. One child can be a waiter, one could set up the “dining area” and one or two children could be in charge of the cooking and baking. This set up will keep each child busy with a task based on their strength or favorite task and in turn sibling rivalry will be at a low.

Chores can be set up in a very similar way. Each child should be allowed to choose their desired chore and if the one chore is chosen by two siblings be sure to have a rotating schedule in place. Keeping siblings minds occupied and encouraging each child to interact and play in a way that combines strength and passion will lessen the sibling rivalry in your household. Less sibling rivalry means more fun time for family.

What do you do in your household to minimize sibling rivalry?