Know That Competition Can Be Healthy
“It’s not fair!” “She got more than me …You must love her more!”
Rest assured that these reactions are completely normal, as hard as they can be for parents to hear. “From the time younger siblings are born, they’re looking up to their older siblings and mimicking sibling behaviors,” says Cassatly.
“Kids spend more time with their siblings than anyone else, including their parents. So some competition isn’t unhealthy; seeing what other children do and wanting to mimic them helps children to learn.”
In fact, this type of competition can even be healthy. It can give children learning experiences that they’ll need for the playground, teaching them social skills, team sportsmanship and how to avoid being a sore loser.
It may seem like they’re practicing terrible sportsmanship, but with time, they’ll understand when they’re getting carried away and when their bantering is just a fun way of bonding with each other.