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How To Handle Sibling Rivalry

Sibling rivalry is very normal. My kids fight more than ten times a day. And yet they also cuddle more than ten times a day. One minute, they are best of friends, the other minute they are enemies. Sometimes a simple play pretend will turn our house into a World War zone. The reasons why they fight are very simple. They fight because of toys, on who is to become who. They fight because someone teases the other. They fight on to who is gonna use the computer first. I am beginning to think that even fight on who can annoy me first. That is really annoying and frustrating to watch. My head seems to blow when I hear them fight or argue over simple things.

It is hard to avoid this situation. Kids are kids, and they can always find a reason to fight. Now, what I do when their fighting escalates? At first, I ignore them, but when it seems that the other one is already harming the other, I step in. I talk to them (OK sometimes scream) to let go of each other and separate. When they see me like I am as raging as a bull, they stopped and started saying sorry to each other. When every body’s calm, we make up to it by thinking of a compromise that will work for both of them.

Yes you can never avoid siblings fighting over little things, but you can minimize the fight. My kids fight but I believe that it was just petty fights. They get along really well amidst all that. When they are both not in fighting mood, it so nice to hear them converse and watch them play. They never get jealous with each other. They never get jealous with their youngest baby too, even though Mommy is giving Chico more attention. They seem to understand that they are individual with each special needs.

How do we do it?

Oh well, we employ FAVORITISM.

Yes we have a favorite. Silly? Oh no not. I tell you this is very effective way to ensure the kids that they are being loved equally.. HOW? well we have our favorite first born (or kuya on our language) and we have our favorite second baby (Dico in the Philippines) and we have our favorite youngest baby (or bunso on our language). You try it and tell me how it will affect the kids.

Or you have some advise regarding siblings rivalry? Share it with me 🙂

Babies at 9 Months

Today, Chico is 9 months old. Yes, we do have some spaghetti for the day, you know the tale when they says you need to at least cook something special every month.. thanking that the baby is healthy.

Chico is having some separation anxiety now, which is very normal at his age. He never likes it when Mommy is out of sight. During sleep time, he only knows Mommy. I can’t even cook with out him crying or crawling to me. Now this would be little harder for me, I can not leave him without him wailing like a siren. Aside from that, he already know how to use the angry tone. Just a while ago as I am finishing some post here, he cried and screamed at me.. he is growing up faster. I am also amazed that he is now aware of object permanence. Like hide and seek.. he loves playing peek a boo. And even i I put the remote under the pillow, he knows how to find it.. such a smart baby.

I also observed that he understands more now. He knows that there are things he is not allowed to. He cannot chew on papers, he should not climb on the sofa and he should not chew on the bed frame or remote control. And every time he had the chance to do those things, he giggles so hard. I really find him adorable when he does that. Instead of me getting angry at him, I just end up laughing with his naughtiness.. I cannot say no to his smile and laughs.. and now he knows ho to use it against me..

Physically, he now cruises around the house. I would start typing an article and Chico is playing on the mat, the next thing I knew, he is beside me or under the dinning table. He also can stand alone for a time( 2 to 5 seconds). He is a very active baby.

He also enjoys clapping his hands or slapping anything with it.. I am glad I bought this toy, he is now very fond of it.

The only ting I am worried about is his speech development, he seems late on his age. he can”t even say mama or dada.. just plain babababab bababa.. I wish he could at least mumble mama.. but I know he tries sometimes.. he even imitates my mouth when I am speaking. But he tries as much to communicate, specially with Daddy. He likes to chat with Daddy. I don’t hwy but he is very animated when he and daddy talks. It was as if he is telling something very exciting to Daddy (or maybe he just know that Daddy will buy him a lot of toys)

The Plane Turned TV

Isn’t it amazing how kids can turn a simple subject to a more complex and complicated matter? Or how they can easily turn a question to a long hour debate?

We were driving South when we passed by the airport. We saw an airplane that just took off. The discussion started with the plane, then it moved to the airport. My very inquisitive son started asking on the lay out of the airport. He keeps on asking how can people go down to the airport or how can they go down the plane or up the plane (I already forgot what exactly he is inquiring about). A plane that turned into an argument and then silence. To make him talk again, I had to explain the lay out of NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) based on my child hood memory (as I have never been there recently). I was asking a little help from the busy driver (aka Daddy) but you know how dads are. And so I try hard to imagine how it looked like and explain it him in detailed matter (like where to turn right or left or straight ahead). He is very keen on directions now. The plane took off and the discussion turned to the building. For the sake of size comparison, I used dinosaurs for comparison. We talk about dinos, and how big they are. Ho strong they are and why they are gone. To my kids, they are gone and they are buried on the TV, that is why they can see the dinos on the TV. Now this is where the argument starts smoking.. They insist that everything in the TV is dead and but they are alive and living inside the TV (he is talking about the Persona game). This things are really hard hard to explain.. Specially when they don’t want to listen and insist what they know is right. And so, the plane that took off, landed on the TV and keeps the car quiet for a long time.

Go0d thing after a funny meal on Bag of Beans, were OK again.