In "Sibling Rivalry, Sibling Love", Nancy Samalin and Catherine Whitney reassure parents about the causes and effects of sibling rivalry. Many parents worry that fighting leads to hatred, but they use funny stories to illustrate just the opposite. Children enjoy fighting with each other and are "often having the time of their lives bickering and plotting and, finally, loving each other." They also do a wonderful job relating the fear and anxiety a child must feel when a new child arrives to a husband bringing home a new spouse. Samalin and Whitney also discuss the different things siblings fight over which mostly boil down to fairness. They see any subtle differences between the the way they are spoken to or the things they receive as acts of favoritism. Many times though, their fighting has no reason at all, sometimes it's just kids being kids.
I couldn't help but laugh at everything in this article because as a sister and a mother of two I can relate to each of the points they make. I think the main point of the article is to let everyone know that this behavior is completely normal. I can already see a lot of sibling rivalry in my children and it often worries me, but this article made me think a lot about fighting with my younger brother and how harmless it really was. It gave me a lot of perspective and I think it might help me loosen up a little when my kids are fighting over the same ball even though we have three of them. It's just part of being a sibling.
I also think I will be more lenient with my students and let them work through their problems a little before intervening because I see that a little disagreement can be both normal and productive in the right situation. Our textbook states that "Piaget identified social interaction as one of the major variables that facilitate cognitive development." Fighting with their peers and giving rational supporting arguments shows their shift from egocentrism in the preoperational stage to concrete operations. So, I believe this article is a great example of the way children relate to their siblings.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I'm glad you found this essay interesting and helpful, Katherine! It is grea that you are able to make connections between the text and your personal experiences. I had MANY siblings and we definitely argued and had to learn how to negotiate through our conflicts. I can see how this is a huge benefit for cognitive and affective development.
I do remember sybling rivalry while growing up. I have a younger brother and there were times that led to much bickering. This can also lead to different parenting and teaching techniques. It is good to let kids be kids, however it is important to instill authority with lack of favoritism.
Post a Comment