EP 44: How to Help Siblings become Better Friends
One of the first things people usually notice about our children is how well they get along. Sure, they have occasional squabbles, but that is the exception rather than the rule. For the most part, our kids really love and admire one another and enjoy being in each other’s company.
They are friends.
And cultivating friendship between siblings is the topic of this week’s episode of Loving Life at Home. I hope you’ll listen in!
Show Notes
VERSES CITED:
- “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
- “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” (Proverbs 17:17, NLT)
- “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32, NASB)
- “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” (1 Peter 3:8, NIV)
- “Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.” (Psalm 133:1)
RELATED LINKS:
- Cultivating Friendship Between Siblings – the original post upon which this episode is based
- Pimsleur Speak & Read Essential Spanish – we invested in multiple levels of multiple language CD sets, although now all these lessons are offered through a subscription service instead
- Stopping Sibling Squabbles – help for parents whose kids are constantly fighting
- Help! My Children Won’t Stop Fighting – my response to a frequently asked reader question
- 10 Nice Things I Can Do For My Sibling – a pretty blank printable to use with bickering kids
- 15 Unexpected Benefits of Big Family Living – even more reasons I love having lots of children
- Best Bible Memory Tips & Tricks– smart ways to hide the Word in your children’s hearts
- Praying for Your Children from Head-to-Toe – pray over your child’s eyes, ears, heart, brain, etc.
- Praying for Your Teens – our teens need prayer, too!
- Praying for Adult Children – they never outgrow their need for a mother’s fervent prayers
- Praying for Your Unborn Baby – never too soon to start beseeching God on your child’s behalf
- Praying for Your Grandchildren – don’t forget to pray for your children’s children, as well!
- 31-Day Prayer Challenge for Parents – pray a different verse over your children every day
- Benefits of Homeschooling – even more reasons to give homeschooling a try
FAMILY GAMES MENTIONED:
- Bananagrams – a great game to strengthen spelling and vocabulary skills
- Battle Sheep – a fun strategy game that can be played by 2-4 players
- So Clover – a game that stretches your ability to make associations
- Q-Bitz – a clever strategy game that can be played alone or in a group
When people ask us how this came to be the case, we’re always quick to credit God’s grace. It’s a heartfelt answer, but not particularly helpful. So for parents who are searching for ways to encourage a deep and lasting friendship between their children, we offer eight practical suggestions:
Tips for Cultivating Friendships between Siblings
- Turn off the TV
Have you ever noticed how poorly family members treat one another on sitcoms? Yet every snide remark is rewarded with liberal doses of canned laughter. If our children are raised on a steady diet of such fare, it shouldn’t surprise us when they emulate what they’ve been watching.
Even if the programing is good and wholesome, allowing children to watch too much of it precludes more meaningful, real-life interaction with their own family members. So switch off the set and make your own fun, instead.
- Play Games Together
When you enter into your children’s world through play, you send them the message you enjoy being with them, and those warm feelings get sent back to you and shared with one another.
A few of our family favorites? Puzzles. Zombie tag. Spoons. Knock-Out. Chess. Checkers. Tea parties. Hearts. The Hat Game. Ultimate Frisbee. Putt-Putt Golf. Ping-Pong. Cabo. Bananagrams.
- Allow for Kid-Directed Adventures
Sometimes our kids dream up things to do together that don’t include Mom and Dad: Build blanket forts. Ride bikes around the block or to the gas station for a treat. See how deep a hole they can dig in our backyard. Hike through the bamboo forest. Build bicycle ramps. Bake peanut-butter cookies. Sell lemonade on the street corner. Drive to Dallas to see Nana.
As long as the things our kids are asking to do are feasible and reasonably safe, we try to say yes to their requests. Not only do these sort of adventures build character, maturity, and confidence, but they bond siblings together in a special way that parent-directed activities alone cannot do… ( Read the rest of these tips for helping siblings become friends at flandersfamily.info)
