What parent of more than one child hasn’t dealt with sibling rivalry? I don’t know any. If you are one the few and the fortunate parents who hasn’t yet encountered sibling rivalry, then count yourself lucky and beware. It’s probably lurking right around the corner!
For parents, the arguing, jealousy, and competition between children can easily play on your nerves and patience. I’m usually considered to be a fairly patient person, especially with children, and I know it drives me to the brink some days! Well, one day I was fed up with it and devised a creative plan to teach my older daughter a lesson. Here’s what I did…
When the green-eyed monster of jealousy entered our home, my “big girl” soon reverted to acting like a baby. All of a sudden, the child who had been mobile since 10 months was insisting on being carried like a baby. She no longer wanted to sit at the table and eat like a big kid. Instead, she wanted to be held in my lap, which was usually occupied. Now, please don’t get me wrong. My older daughter was thrilled to have a little sister. She was simply a typical child and longed to be the focus of our attention. Of course, little babies require more attention and she quickly picked up on this fact. So, she decided if she were a baby again everything would be great.
Instead of getting upset with her, I got creative and found my own playful approach to deal with the sibling rivalry. It’s a parenting experiment I affectionately dubbed as Codename: Operation Baby for the Day.
