How to Prevent Sibling Rivalry While Playing

It’s good to see your children playing at home. When they get along well, you feel relaxed. It becomes a problem when you start seeing them fight while playing. You don’t want your children to grow up apart since they have to be there for each other. While you can still do something about it, you should find a way to prevent sibling rivalry. These tips can help you.

Set rules together

Before you allow your children to start playing, try to set clear rules. If there are limited toys and resources, they have to share. Someone might use one toy first while the other can use it later. Taking turns will also prevent potential conflicts. If they violate the rules, you have to remind them that it’s something you decided together. You don’t want to impose on your children the rules they believe are too tough to follow.

Be fair 

There are instances when you feel better about one child over another. Despite that, you have to stay fair. You can show that you favour the youngest child. If there’s a sense of unfair treatment, it will lead to terrible results. It could also strain your relationship with the children. For instance, if you decide to visit places offering soft play equipment, everyone should have enough time to play there. You can’t allow one child to spend more time playing while you limit the other. When you notice that you’re setting unfair standards, you have to change.

Promote healthy competition 

There’s nothing wrong with promoting a healthy competition while playing. For instance, if you’re playing puzzles, you can reward the child who finishes first. You can also do it with other fun games. However, everything should remain within the bounds of healthy competition. Otherwise, it will promote sibling rivalry that will go beyond the play area. Again, you want your children to be there for each other. They can learn how to be competitive, but not with each other.

Make general reminders

If you want your children to avoid committing the same mistakes, you have to remind them. If they fight while playing, everyone involved should receive a gentle reminder. Even if you know that it’s only one child’s fault, you can’t let the other get away with it. Your manner of reminding them how to behave while playing might get perceived as being unfair.

Spend more time playing with them

Instead of only telling your children to play, you have to do it with them. In doing so, you create a lasting bond. They will also avoid having rivalries because they enjoy the process. They cherish the moment that they have with you instead of bickering with one another.

For regular students, it’s easy to give instructions and allow them to work on some tasks. However, it’s not the same for students with special needs. They might need the chance to explore themselves and their interests. They take time to get to the results, but they will get there. Allow them to enjoy the journey instead of letting them focus on the outputs only.

There are times when students in special-needs get distracted. They don’t focus on the activities. They also have a hard time socializing with others. When they don’t get what they need, they might end up having tantrums. Regardless of how difficult it is to work with them, you have to be patient. You know that they don’t have the same mental and emotional capacity as other students. When they feel engaged to continue learning, they will see things through.

The best way to engage students with special needs is to make the learning process relevant to their lives. The truth is that it should be the same for all students. They will feel engaged if they find the value of what they’re learning in their personal lives. For instance, some students with special needs don’t like solving mathematical problems. However, they like making jokes or shooting videos. When giving them activities, they should have an opportunity to showcase their strengths. When they like what they’re doing in class, they will continue to participate. They might even volunteer to do some responsibilities.

If you want to help, you should be open-minded. Again, the students have a different way of learning. If you already got used to the process of teaching students, you have to change them. The strategies might not work for students with special needs. You have to keep learning and improving. Each day, you will discover something you from your student, and it helps you plan the next lessons.

Sibling rivalry is inevitable. While your children are young, you have to remind them about the value of being siblings. They might have a natural tendency to compete with each other, but they have to outgrow it. Ultimately, they will stand up for each other when you’re no longer there.