Holy Spirit Catholic School eNewsletter

Pastoral Chaplain's Chat

Question: What causes sibling rivalry? Answer: Having more than one child. This joke always gets a laugh in our parenting presentations but there is more than a hint of truth about it. If your children are constantly in competition then you’ll know how destructive sibling rivalry can be. While some rivalry between siblings is healthy, too much can have a toxic impact on family life and children’s self-esteem.

In this article, you can find out some of the fascinating insights from the popular book Why first borns rule the world and later borns want to change it.

Webinar: Sibling fighting

If your kids constantly fight, don’t despair. All that emotional energy isn’t going to waste. Sibling fights teach kids valuable conflict resolution skills that can be put to use in the classroom, the schoolyard and in future personal relationships. In fact, stopping them from arguing may be depriving them of important learning opportunities.

Spend an hour with renowned parenting educator Michael Grose as he explores the weird and wonderful world of sibling relationships. He’ll help you develop an active approach to resolving sibling disputes so they learn valuable life skills.

Book: Why first-borns rule the world and later-borns want to change it

First published in 2003 to great acclaim, this fully revised and updated edition reveals how birth order is a vital factor in determining our personality and the life we lead. Addressing multiple births, special-needs children, blended families, single/only children, gender balance and birth-order balance in the workplace, parenting expert and father of three Michael Grose challenges parents to raise each child differently according to their birth order.

It enables readers to delve a little deeper and look for the constellation of positions within a family, giving them a clearer picture of their own quirks and ambitions, along with those of their siblings, children, partner, friends and colleagues.