Activities To Help Siblings Get Along
Everyone told you that when you have a second child, the first child will be happier because they will have someone to play with all the time. That sounds like logical advice, except what these other parents aren’t telling you is that sibling rivalry is real and children often spend hours fighting and arguing. Sure, they can play together too, but it’s not all sunshine and roses when it comes to having more than two kids. It can be really frustrating to try to corral them into agreement, so here are a few ways and activities to do it without them even realizing you are working hard to encourage them to get along!
One way to encourage your kids to play together is to play with them.
Yes, we know, you are very busy, but getting in the middle of the play can help children understand how to interact with each other and share their time with you as well.
Dig out the board games and tell them to take turns picking with games to play.
Set timers on games so that they don’t spend more time playing with one board game over another. Children need to learn to share their belongings – it’s a rule of life that will follow them forever.
Arts and crafts are always a great activity for two or more children.
They can build or make something together or have a competition to see who can make something the fastest. Avoid competitions where someone is the winner because of talent: it is akin to poking the bear in sibling world.
Let your children do their own thing sometimes.
One of the keys to getting along with someone is to not spend every waking hour of every day with them. This is no different for siblings. Don’t expect them to always want to play with each other: encouraging them to play separately can create a longing for each other and result in more fun for them.
Get them a pet: any pet will do.
Give them something to be responsible for and they can work out how to feed and care for the pet. Cats are great because they basically look after themselves and you just need to feed them and play with them. Plus, they are super cute and cuddly. Kids love cuddles with animals.
Have your kids plan an adventure day.
They can pick the spot, the lunch you pack, the activities that will happen once you arrive at your destination. Giving them the responsibility of working together on a project will help them get along better and they’ll feel closer when they accomplish a big task like planning a whole day away from the house.
Finally, a big barrier to sibling cohesiveness is the stubbornness of children.
Make sure your kids apologize to one another when they are mean or hurt one another and encourage them to get over their negative feelings quickly so they can go about their day. Don’t let them fester and create a divide amongst themselves. They’ll be happier playing together anyway, so encourage them to wrap up the nonsense as soon as possible.