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Sibling relationships
I don't know why, but I'm still very scared of my elder brother. We're only five years apart in age, yet I can't feel comfortable around him. As a child, he used to restrict me from everything. This habit hasn't changed, and I often feel embarrassed in front of my husband and children.
Minor arguments between siblings are natural. Problems arise when one is calm, while the other is extremely rude. In such a situation, if parents don't try to improve their children's relationship, bitterness and resentment toward each other linger in their hearts.
Some men also complain about not getting along well with their younger or older sisters. It's not necessarily a serious issue that they're fighting or disagreeing. However, when tensions arise in relationships, they often stem from their childhood family environment.
Don't avoid your responsibility
In most families with more than one child or where the age difference between the two children is more than five years, parents assign the responsibility of caring for the younger sibling to the eldest child. Sometimes, the older children abuse this authority and start bullying the younger sibling.
Jasmine, a 39-year-old from Kathmandu, says, "I am the youngest of five siblings. My mother had a heavy burden of household chores, so my elder sister used to take care of me. Whenever I did not obey her, she would often beat me. This gradually led to a feeling of resentment towards her, but when I think about it today, I feel that my sister was not at fault. She was given the responsibility of taking care of a five-year-old child, so it was natural for her to become irritated. However, with time, awareness is increasing among people. Nowadays, parents do not impose their responsibilities on the elder child, but instead give him the freedom to live his childhood."
Teach sharing and caring
Along with love, there is also a little rivalry in the brother-sister relationship, which every parent should try to control and strengthen their emotional bond.
From Kathmandu Menon says, "When my daughter Payel was three, my son Chandra was born. I decided then that I would take equal care of both of them, without any discrimination. Initially, my daughter would often tell me, "You always hold him in your lap," when she saw her younger brother. I would explain to her that her brother is still very young and needs help from adults. Then, I would take time out every day to sit my daughter on my lap and feed her with my own hands, so that she wouldn't feel neglected. When they started school, I explained to them that they should take care of each other. Now, my daughter is 20 and my son is 17. They are always ready to help each other. I am very happy to see such love between them."
Do not discriminate
It's a good thing that people no longer discriminate between sons and daughters, yet sometimes their behavior hurts children's tender feelings. If a child feels that their parents love their brother or sister more than them, it's crucial to dispel this misconception.
If sons and daughters are given equal opportunities to study and progress, they will not only take care of each other but will also become sensitive towards the society.
Main-Recovered strengthen the relationship
Help your children realize that, in addition to friends, brothers and sisters also hold a special place in everyone's life. Simply telling them this isn't enough; you should also make continuous efforts to strengthen the emotional bond between them. Parenting is a process, so pay special attention to the following:
- Don't discriminate between sons and daughters in any matter. If you ever restrict your daughter from doing something, be sure to explain the reason.
- Give daughters the freedom to choose a career according to their interest.
- Enlist the help of sons in household chores. Similarly, teach daughters how to drive and perform minor electrical repairs, tasks that were previously considered exclusively for boys.
- If a relative makes comparisons between siblings, politely ask them not to do so.
- Share childhood memories with your children about how you used to play together with your siblings. - They will enjoy listening to this and strengthen their emotional bond.
