One of the oldest problems of all time has been siblings rivalry. The competitive spirit between siblings at a moderate level could be though fruitful to encourage their personal growth. But not in an excess level. Too much competitiveness can turn the sweet relationship between two siblings sour and give rise to rivalry among them. It could possibly arise due to the love, affection, and attention of one or both parents towards one of the siblings more than what the other one receives. It primarily depends on the upbringing or the parenting of the parents. Sibling rivalry is pretty common, and every sibling duo faces it at some point in time, but how well they resolve the differences that result from it. Here are a few ways in which you can resolve some conflicts related to sibling rivalry.

1. Be Patient, Stay Calm - Listen to what your children have to say. Don't just intervene and end up taking sides before hearing them out completely. Learn to keep your cool in such situations and ask your kids to do the same. Otherwise, the situation is sure to escalate, which you surely wouldn't want as a parent.
2. Build A Cooperative Environment - Stop comparing your kids with one another or even someone else's kid, for even that matter. Favouring one over the other one would encourage competition between them. Give them the opportunity to compromise and cooperate with each other. Also, never leave any chance of setting a good example, even as a parent. Kids often learn from their parents, so make sure you and your spouse set an example of how to communicate or behave with each other for your kiddos to follow.
3. Make sure to celebrate their individuality - Kids are less likely to indulge in rivalry when they are celebrated for being them or unique in their own beautiful yet flawed ways. To avoid labels and pigeonholing. Appreciate your kids as special they are. Let them know you are proud of them and the way they are. If your kiddo doesn't like to play outdoor games and rather likes to read, appreciate that trait about him/her. Whereas your other child is the complete opposite, then appreciate him/her as well.
4. Plan happy family time - Happy family is not an unrealistic concept, for sure. It exists and can be maintained as a real picture. Plan out family dinners, get together and parties on some special occasions or festivals. Socialising with one another is sure to help your kiddos bond well and share some positive memories together. You can encourage your kiddos to send premium rakhi or some Christmas gifts or just apology gifts, with or without any special reason - just the make one pother feel special.
5. Be fair to them, not necessarily equal - Fairness is an important principle of good parenting. And fair doesn't mean you have to be equal always to both kiddos while dealing with them. Individually decide which kiddo needs to be punished, whereas which one needs to be rewarded. This kind of fairness is sure to go a long way in your successful parenting journey.

Here's how to handle conflict situations in a positive way.

• Two to tango - It takes two to tangle such situations. Instead of blame gaming one another, try to focus on the child's role in this underlying situation.
• Be a good listener - Children often get emotional and frustrated during a fight. So respect their feelings and be a good listener under such circumstances. Be it a positive or negative reaction that you are about to give to your child; our child will be willing to understand your point if you make them feel heard. Tell them you are all ears to their problem.
• Punishment needs to be made private - Avoid making a scene and punish your kids in private. Doing otherwise would demean or shame the feelings of one sibling in front of the other one. Make sure you teach them a lesson with your punishment and not make an entire announcement out of it.
• Set a family meeting - Give everyone a chance to speak, gather them around for a chat. You can even choose to set up some house rules to keep up with your commitment to being a happy, healthy family.