The Sibling Peace Pact: A Child Psychologist Shares Essential Steps to Help Your Kids Stop Fighting

When a family welcomes a second child, it always seems like there’s now going to be harmony at home since both children will have someone to play with all the time. However, a new family member’s appearance can also become the reason why the eldest kid feels stressed and lonely, now that their parents are more focused on the other.

Even though psychologists admit it’s pretty normal for situations like this, parents can still make things better if they see the signs of their child’s distress quickly and take an action.

How to See If Your First Child Is Jealous?

Since jealousy is a normal thing to feel for kids feeling rejected by their parents, the most obvious sign will be a big shift in the child’s attitude towards their parents.

According to experts, the kid suddenly becomes stubborn and misbehaving, can cause damage to their toys and seem pretty aggressive towards their younger sibling, starts showing regress and lack of motivation for learning something new, tries to command their parents and tell them they don’t love their first child, as well as sabotages everyday tasks or refuses to do them.

This way, kids try to make it clear to their parents that they desperately need their attention, and for that the little ones are ready to do all kinds of things, including bad ones.

What Should Parents Do?

The most important thing to do here is to reassure the eldest child that they’re still loved and appreciated as much as they were before their younger sibling was born. Psychologists suggest you try to dedicate at least some time to your first child only, however hard it may be, and explain to them that you care about their feelings and want them to feel as well as possible.

Also, if the two kids can’t stop fighting, try finding some games that can potentially interest both of them; usually, it helps them unite for the same mission, thus creating a bond between them.