Do you remember when you were a kid and your brothers/sisters used to bug you until you just lost it and then YOU got in trouble? Maybe you were the tattle tale and wanted to make sure Mom/Dad knew you weren’t the one who spilled the milk, broke a vase, or made the baby cry .
Maybe you always felt kind of invisible because the “baby in the family” got most of the attention and Mom would just say to you, “Go outside and play.” It could be that your brother/sister did so much better in sports, music or academics and you felt you were less than them. Now those feelings have carried on into your adulthood. Hmmmmm.
“Siblings are the people we practice on; the people who teach us about fairness, cooperation, kindness, and caring – quite often the hard way.” Parents have a wonderful opportunity to guide their children to help them practice these things by the way they interact with their kids.
Sometimes it isn’t easy to see which child is at fault, who is telling a lie, who is just having a bad day or which child just likes to tell on their sibling. It takes wisdom, discernment, time to focus, and a strong purpose of teaching their children how to get along with others. In addition, it is important to teach children to be kind to one another and encourage one another, like the Bible teaches us to do.
Many times, children will act out by fighting with each other just to get their busy parents’ attention. Parents who are workaholics, spend most of their time on their phones or laptops, or pursuing their own interests, can encourage kids to do most anything to get much needed attention. Something to think about, Parents.
This Tuesday, on Chained No More Talk Radio, we are addressing this very topic, “Sibling Rivalry: How to End the War at Home.” Our expert guest is author Sarah Hamaker, the author of “Ending Sibling Rivalry: Moving Your Kids from War to Peace.” She will talk about the difference between sibling rivalry and conflict, how it affects the family, how parents can actually encourage rivalry, and many tips to help parents who live this every day. To listen LIVE, go to www.toginet.com at 2-3pm ET on Jan. 10. To listen to the podcast later, go to www.toginet.com/shows/chainednomore.
“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Take a deep breath, parents, and let’s get to work so your home can be one of more peace!