How do you deal with sibling rivalry between your children? According to Joji Racelis, senior counselor at the Center for Family Ministries, parents play a very critical role in developing a child’s self-esteem, so it's important to pay attention and let each of your children know they're loved.
“Parents, especially those who want to be good parents, want their kids to grow up properly. So we call their attention to what they’re doing wrong, so it can be corrected. But we do it at the expense of their self-esteem,” says Racelis.
What can parents do to raise confident and capable siblings? Read on for some tips.
For more on raising happy, healthy kids, check these out:
- Mommy's All Mine: 8 Tips for Dealing with Your Child's Jealousy and Insecurity
- 10 Ways to Help Your Teen Love Herself
- Raising Winners: 5 Tips to Help You Hone Your Children's Potential
- 7 Reasons to Encourage Your Kids to Take up Extracurricular Activities
- Game On: 5 Tips on Raising a Child Who Grows up to Be a Winner
- The Filipino Child and His Sense of Importance + 5 Ways to Boost Your Child’s Self-Worth
(First published as a sidebar to "In the Shadow of a Sibling" in Good Housekeeping Magazine in January-February 2009; screencaps from The Parent Trap courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures; adapted for use in Female Network)
