A friend of mine was driving home the other day with her five-year-old daughter and six-year-old son in the back seat. Everything was quiet when all of a sudden she heard her sweet little daughter lean over towards her son and whisper to him, “I want to punch you right in the face.” How’s that for sibling rivalry?
Moms need to attack sibling rivalry from many angles. One approach is to encourage your children to feel that being part of a family is like being part of a team. It’s an “all for one and one for all” mentality. The 4 mottos below are a good way to reinforce that thinking. They’re also a good way to discipline your children. When your kids bicker or fight, have them repeat one of these mottos. You can also have them write them out.
1. Kind Words
We are the _______________ family.
This helps build up each other
And puts love in our minds.
2. Helping Others
We are the _______________ family.
We always seek to serve.
Because loving, helping hands
Are what our home deserves.
3. Sharing
We are the _______________ family.
We have lots of stuff to share.
And when we give to one another
We are showing that we care.
We are the _______________ family.
We’ve been blessed with quite enough.
Brothers and sisters are most important
That’s why we share our stuff.
4. Love
We are the _______________ family.
We live our lives with love.
When we fight we make-up,
And hug, and hug, and hug.
Tell us! What has worked for you in reducing sibling rivalry?
