Sorting Out Some Sibling Woes

So.

Hilariously, our elementary school counselors shared a “conflict wheel” this week as a sort of public service.

Basically, it’s a handful of steps that kiddos can take to try and resolve their conflict before going to a parent for refereeing, ha.

And if that doesn’t scream relevant for today’s sequestered world, I don’t know what does. ;)

Luckily, I was oh so fortunate to birth three totally happy homebodies, who have been nothing but thrilled to be home in their pajamas for the past three months. 

They are fed, they are well-rested, they are (moderately) educated at a pace and challenge level set just for them, they are watered and walked daily.

And they are generally, quite well-tempered—color me shocked and awed and GRATEFUL. 

‘Cause if they’d been little hellions for the past 10 weeks, I would be crying in my Cheerios right about now as I stare down the entire summer calendar that still looms before us.

But.

With all that togetherness time they’re clocking these days, certain little nitpicks have risen to the surface, and it basically goes something like this:

Chica generally gets along with everybody, and everybody with Chica. Although she certainly has her moments and moods, she’s—for the most part—a peacekeeper personality, and a mothering type.

But Chicklet and Little Man are too well matched and too close in age to remain peaceful and cordial with one another at all times. They each tend to treat Chica nicer they treat one another, and we’ve had a little crackdown this week.

The good thing is that it’s nothing major that doesn’t all boil down to birth order, personality, and perceived inequality. Just simple sibling bickering that we want to nip in the bud before it gets out of hand.

It has to be noted than any snuggling, outward affection, or lovey-dovey sibling behavior between Chicklet and Little Man has always been like a shooting star. So rare and beautiful that it must be catalogued and appreciated. Take this pic I snapped at the end of March, for example (and even note how it was still slightly one-sided, ha)...

The next best one that I could find between just those two nuggets was way back in November, ha:



But it must also be said that Chicklet is one of Little Man’s fiercest protectors. I can still remember her as a two-year-old, bodily shielding Little Man from a well-wishing stranger in a store who was trying to peer too closely into his car seat. She ended up knocking Little Man over in that car seat, because she was so quick to make sure he was safe!

I firmly, 100%, with all of my being, believe these two will be thick as thieves as they age. They are so dang close in age and temperament that I can really see them navigating within the same circles as teenagers. Truly. It will be fascinating to watch.

And I know, know there’s a lot of fierce love there, always. It’s just sometimes a little more fierce than lovely, ha. 

And truth be told...it’s a little tough for Little Man to be the youngest and the only boy.

Without forcing gender agendas within the household, my kiddos have gravitated towards pretty stereotypical interests. So the girlies have more common ground with imaginary games they want to play, and tend to huddle together a lot.



Whereas Little Man is currently a bit more rough and tumble, and all about the action imagination play, and it’s not always the girlies’ top form of fun.



The good thing is that all three kiddos have so much common ground: creative/art fun, building, costume play, puzzles, animals. There is really so much that they all three enjoy.

The hubby and I just sometimes have to intervene and make sure they’re playing in equal parts with one another, and not leaving anyone’s suggestions out.

So...as a little incentive last week for Chicklet and Little Man to be more observant about how they interact with one another, the hubby offered them a prize if they could get along and be kind for the day.

Hilariously, it’s taken them until now to actually earn that prize through behavior—and even then, we might have just given up and caved as parents, ha.

But still...at least it was an exercise that kept their behavior—and the expected equality of it—top of mind.

So here’s hoping we can continue to harp on it as we head into summer so that all siblings are happy siblings. :)

Little Man received a little LEGO set he wanted and immediately ran off to check it out in detail.

Chicklet got a Polly Pocket Rainbow Purse (in honor of her room rainbow):

And Chica—as a reward for always maintaining peace—got a Sorting Hat and we had tons of great fun taking turns. :)



















Mama got Slytherin quite a few times, ha.

And...a bit later, even though I didn’t get my couch time because of some massive kitchen clean-up and bone broth I had to get started (a whole other post), the kiddos all got Xbox. :)

Happy Weekend, peeps!

Over and out.