Most likely, the ties your kids have with each other will be the longest and most important ones they'll ever have.
Still, there will probably be times when you feel like you're raising bitter enemies instead of loving children.
But it's normal for girls in sibling relationships to compete with each other, and fights can be good ways to learn. And fighting doesn't mean that brothers can't still be close.
There are some sister bonding tips you can use to help your two girls get along well.
Here's How To Create Your Daughters Strong Sisterly Bond
1. Studying how siblings get along
Research shows that sisters help each other learn how to get along with other people. When it comes to teaching children how to behave in public and avoid making a fool of themselves at the dinner table, parents excel. But siblings are better examples of how to act at school, on the street, and, most importantly, with friends. These are some ways to make up most of a child's normal life.
If you help your kids get along well with their sisters, they might grow up to be best friends. Even though brothers will argue and fight, working out their differences can help them learn how to deal with each other and other people as adults.
2. Don't compare your kids to others
First of all, try not to say things like, "Why can't you listen as well as your sisters does?" "Your sister doesn't talk back to me." When you compare your kids to each other, you are sure to make them compete with each other and feel bad about each other.
So make sure to create your daughters strong sisterly bond.
3. Try to figure out why siblings fight
When one of your kids wants to get the other's attention, do they often fight? Do you feel like they're vying for your focus and consideration? When they are tired or bored, do they fight more?
As soon as you notice a trend that might explain this behavior, try to deal with it so that fights between siblings happen less often.
For example, you could give each child one-on-one time or try to help your child find better, less aggressive ways to get the attention of a relative.
4. Show them how important respect is
Listening is one method to demonstrate respect for one another, and respect is vital for them to know how to strengthen relationships between sisters or their friends.
Remind kids that they should treat others with kindness and care for how they feel, just as they would want to be treated.
Respect can mean talking to each other in a nice or at least not mean way, even when you disagree, not putting down a sibling's opinion, and being aware of someone else's space and belongings (like not going into a sibling's room without permission or touching their things).
5. Encourage good times together
People get closer to each other when they share good times. So it's important to give kids chances to have fun with each other.
Whether they like to color together or play in the park, write down the things they like to do and the times when they get along well. Then, plan more of these things on purpose to help them get along.
This can be hard to do if your kids are of very different ages or are interested in very different things. But there are always ways to have a good time together—you might just have to think outside the box.
When kids laugh and have fun, they feel better about themselves. And when they share these good thoughts with their siblings, they will feel better about each other.
So plan regular things to do with your kids that will help them get along. And be sure to do it at the right time. If you expect them to play nicely when they're too tired, hungry, or angry, it might not work out.
6. Establish rituals
Family traditions have been linked to happier marriages, closer bonds among family members, and a clearer sense of self among adolescents, according to research published in the Journal of Family Psychology.
Rituals are what makes your family different from everyone else's. Setting up traditions like "Taco Tuesdays" or chocolate pancakes for Valentine's Day can help everyone feel closer to each other.
Family traditions are another great way to make memories that will last. The kids will always remember how every Friday was movie night and how the first day of summer was always spent at the beach.
Sometimes it can feel hard to get sisters to get along well with each other. But it's well worth the work to build healthy connections. Your children may learn a lot from one another, and with a little guidance, you can help them form lifetime friendships that will benefit them.
You can also get the book Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings: How to Stop Fighting and Raise Friends for Life (The Peaceful Parent Series) to help you raise your two girls to be close friends.
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