What Causes Sibling Rivalry?
Ever heard the saying, “It’s normal for siblings to fight?” If it’s so normal, what leads to the argument? Sibling rivalries all depend on how children are raised and how they develop. Personal beliefs and opinions between siblings are one factor, nut how a parent treats their child is even bigger. Sibling rivalries form because of unequal attention from parents between siblings, overwhelming amounts of jealousy of each sibling, and the development process and age of each sibling. Siblings rivalries will indefinitely form between siblings when parents give unequal attention and punishments. The hardest thing for a child to experience during is the birth of another child because the older child(ren) feel their relationship with their parents is being jeopardized. Children develop a sense of receiving unequal amounts of affection with the birth of a second child (Sibling Rivalry, CS Mott). Children don 't fully understand why their parents will always be around the newborn baby and not focus on them. Unfortunately, treatment such as this can lead to resenting other sibling(s) or trying to gain attention through fighting arguing or faking injuries and illnesses. Another example of unequal attention is with special needs or seriously ill children. When a child is born with a disability or diagnosed with a serious illness, all attention may need to be put on that child. According to Jennifer S. Pendley, who has a PhD in pediatric behavioral health,