Building Stronger Sibling Bonds

If your children are having a hard time together, it’s only natural that you try to help them resolve things peacefully. However often this can feel very exhausting for you… and perhaps at times you might worry they will never get along. Studies have shown that couples need five to seven positive interactions to counter-balance one negative interaction. Now this may feel like an impossible task when your children argue six times a day! So why not simply change your goal to helping your children have as many positive interactions as they can?

How can parents help?

Remember that a smile counts as a positive- so these don’t all need to be major interactions for them to count as a positive! It is also helpful to notice and encourage the activities that get your children playing together and try to avoid interrupting happy play. You can start using “Special Time” between your children, during which they can spend 10mins doing something that makes them laugh, create or move around together. Finally, how about creating a Family Kindness Journal to record acts of kindness with each other and reflect on at the end of each week?

Sometimes we could all do with someone to talk to.  If you would like to meet Penny for a confidential and non-judgemental chat about you, your child, or any other worries, she is available on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9-10am. You can call/text Penny on 07901-000606 or email her at penny@schoolscounsellingpartnership.co.uk