What Is Sibling Rivalry?
A little competition isn't a bad thing. Sometimes it can keep you working hard — like when you and your brother spend time shooting hoops. If he's good at it, it may make you want to improve, too. But some sibling rivalry involves arguing, like when you think your brother is hogging the ball. People who love each other might argue sometimes, but too much fighting is unpleasant for everyone.

Have you ever heard of the green-eyed monster called jealousy? Sometimes brothers and sisters are jealous of one another. For instance, if your sister always does well at school, it may be frustrating for you, especially if your grades are lower.

Although you're probably proud of your sibling or siblings, it's normal to be a little jealous, too. It may make you feel better to focus more on doing your own personal best, rather than comparing yourself with a brother or sister.

All kids want attention from their parents, but sometimes you need to take turns. If you're feeling ignored or like your sibling is always in the spotlight, talk to your mom or dad. If a parent knows you're feeling left out, together you can figure out ways to help you feel better again.

What causes sibling rivalry?
More often sibling rivalry surfaces when children don't seem to get enough of their parents love and affection. Just like grown ups go through a myriad of feelings and emotions, a child too experiences all this and more during his childhood. The flip side is that children don't know how to express these feelings and sometimes they manifest into sibling rivalry.

Of course, parents always hope for a picture-perfect relationship between their children. But the fact is that disagreements between siblings are unavoidable. It is simply a natural part of growing up. As a parent you might find these fights silly - but the child is learning important lessons of life like being assertive, honing their people skills, problem solving, etc.

Sometimes rivalry can also be caused with the arrival of a new baby at home. The older sibling goes through feelings of jealously as he sees the baby getting all the attention. The age factor also plays a crucial role in sibling rivalry. If the siblings are very close to each other in terms of age, it breeds competition between them. Just being a year or two apart, they go through common phases of growth thus compounding the rivalry between them.

The earlier this issue is resolved, the better. It might seem a tough task to control sibling rivalry but if you use the right strategies you will see it dwindling over a period of time. If the rivalry continues for a longer time or intensifies as the children grow, it could end up destroying their relationship.

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