Sibling Rivalry Chaos
I am not sure what ht our house this month. My children are at each other’s throats. I have a 10 year old girl and 4 year old boy. They have always got along and my daughter ADORES her little brother.
This month full blown wars have occurred over things like- she is looking at me. I don’t want her to watch TV. I don’t like her singing. Don’t hug her. She is on wrong side of the couch, etc. For her part she looks at hi extra hard when he doesn’t want her “looking” at him and sings louder when he asks her to stop.
He is asserting himself as a person and experimenting with free will.
The worst for me has been the crazy/nuts jealousy over our affection. I get a glare from him if I hug her. I I say thanks for putting laundry in dryer he glowers and says he helped too ( he didn’t)
World Was 2 erupts over the computer situation. The both like to be on the computer. He likes Youtube ans she likes making moving. Their own computer dies a couple of months ago and they have been suing my laptop.
I couldn’t take it anymore and went out to buy a new one yesterday to solve the problem . Nothing is stock. I went back to their older computer and took it apart ( did I mention I am bit of a geek?) . Checked everything and still wouldn’t work. I didn;t think ti was power supply because fan worked on and off- but yup- was power supply. Got a new one for 10.00 used yesterday and now back up and running ../ ( well sort of- the USB ports don’t work so will install a USB card later today)
I am stuck here. I have consciously tried t make sure this would not happen- by letting each person be their own- never comparing them, modelling like crazy, etc. I am struggling here!
My son has had some serious health problem in last few months and I am wondering if it is backlash from her perceiving that he is getting more attention than him.
My husband is trying to be sensitive however he does tend to expect her to take the “high” road all the time and I try to remind him- and myself- that she is still only 10.
Any ideas or thoughts?
I’m not sure what state you’re in but if you’re in a state that has cold weather this time of year, maybe they’re getting cabin fever. Try suggesting a few outdoor activites and see if that helps. Make a snowman, play football, go sledding, go on a scavenger hunt, bury a time capsule or go ice skating. Hope this helps!
Yeah, I’m with Joanne. It is that time of year. But also I’d say that to a certain extent, squabbling has nothing to do with how you’ve parented or who you are. Siblings just have to do it sometimes and it goes in maddening phases of intensity over here too. Weeks of bliss and then months of squabbles.
Sometimes it is harder for us and them because we are together a lot more than most siblings and parents tend to be. If it gets too crazy I remind everyone how we are homeschooling because we choose that and sometimes it gets too close for comfort and we need to respect each other’s need for privacy, freedom, etc… the reflective lecture usually bores them to the point that they join together again in an effort to avoid me. Hey, works for me!