Is sibling rivalry good or bad ?

1. 58

   iwriteforyouposted 11 years ago

   Is sibling rivalry good or bad ?
   
   Does sibling rivalry have it's benefits e.g does it give us a competitive edge, help us cope with failure and aid our development or is it just harmful behaviour which should be discouraged ?

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2. 75

   algarveviewposted 11 years ago

   I think it's bad, there is so much competition out there, why do we need it in our homes to? I think siblings should compete with other people, not between each other, with each other they should be caring and supportive and that makes up for a better family and a brighter happier future... and after all aren't sibling suppose to be best friends... I think they should and this is what I try to teach my children...

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3. 76

   JohnGreasyGamerposted 11 years ago

   While competition is good, it can depress the one who is "losing", and lead to more negative things than good.
   
   You may remember that Cain and Abel had sibling rivalry.

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4. 60

   BrianMI6posted 11 years ago

   It can be good.  Kinda like the whole "iron sharpens iron" thing.  But taken too far it can be bad.

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5. 61

   jengeurianposted 11 years ago

   I believe that healthy competition is good, but being competitive over every single thing in life is not healthy.  I regularly encourage my children to race one another when we are outside playing.  The running is healthy for them.  My 2 and 3 year old girls don't care about winning.  They are happy to just be running with their brothers.  My 4 year old son and 5 year old son tend to be more competitive.  My older boy runs faster and my younger boy tends to get upset that he never wins.  A part of parenting is teaching children sportsmanship.  Learning to lose and have fun doing it is a part of that.
   We also participate in activities where my 4 year old surpasses my 5 year old.  This is a healthy type of competitiveness, and in the process they both learn to win and lose gracefully.
   I do not believe that I will ever encourage, or even condone, a competitive nature when it comes to anything that is academic.  Each child is extremely different in the way that they learn and in what topic interest them.  I feel that any competitiveness here would just hinder the children from reaching their full potential in those topics that they are less adept in.
   Overall, sibling rivalry is great when it is fostered in a healthy way and not allowed to get out of hand.  Competition between siblings is healthy just as competition between children in a physical education is healthy.  However, it is not healthy to allow the children to turn everything into a competition, and it is not healthy for their adult role models to try and get them to compete over every aspect of life.  This is how children are led to believe that those who provide their care will only love the one who wins.

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6. 0

   kelleywardposted 11 years ago

   I think it depends. If the fighting becomes violent then it is bad. However, if the arguing helps teach kids how to work out issues then it could be good.

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7. 0

   Starmom41posted 11 years ago

   I've never seen good sibling rivalry, but I've seen bad. 
   Sometimes--  like if favoritism enters the picture--  siblings can be alienated against each other for the rest of their lives.

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   1. 84

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Concur!It's a commonplace occurrence when there are 2 or more children in a family.When there are 2 or more children,they are gong to see each other as competitors for parental attention. Remember the phrase familiarity breeds contempt! No love lost!

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8. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   When there is more than one child in the family, there is a strong likelihood that there will be sibling rivalry.Sibling rivalry is a commonplace occurrence in multichild families.It CAN'T be avoided! read more

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   1. 84

      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This hub is in response to the question. Please read and comment.

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