Sibling rivalry

[Potterfanme]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "golden_faile" 
<golden_faile at y...> wrote:
> > Pippin is right to an extent( forgive me Pip) But I understand 
> where you are. I was an only child. And I for sure thought that 
there 
> was something wrong with my children, for all of their squabbling! 
> There is really nothing that you can do. They are going to fight. 
> Just make sure that you lay the guidelines (they must have some 
basic 
> respect for each other... no name calling, no being physical) and 
let 
> them go. Every once in awhile they will step over these boundaries, 
> but so long as they know that this is serious and punishable, they 
> should be okay. Then just steel yourself against the shreiks and 
> screams because they ARE going to bicker. Hope I helped.
> 
> Laila

I agree with the above.  My kids are two years apart.  Girl is older 
than the boy.  When they were quite small....5 and 3 they started 
physically fighting.  One day I had enough.  We lived in a two story 
house with a full heated basement.  They used to clamp on to each 
other biting, scratching, kicking etc. to the point that they looked 
like the cartoons where the fighters are just a dust ball rolling 
around.  I calmly grabbed each one by the scruff of their neck and 
carried them downstairs to the basement.  I told them that this was a 
home for people and if they wanted to act like animals they could 
live in the basement.  I turned around and went upstairs and shut the 
door.  The silence was deafening!  Soon I heard them talking to each 
other trying to figure out what to do next.(I was sitting next to the 
door)  Soon they came running up the stairs asking to come back in.  
I told them they could only if they could stop the fighting.  They 
never physically fought again.

I have always told my kids that they did not have to like each other 
but to remember that one day when their Dad and I were gone, they 
would only have each other.

I am very pleased to say that now that they are 18 and 16 they truly 
love each other.  They are very close.  My son is having a hard time 
currently since his sister has gone to college.  Will they openly 
admit they love each other.....NO WAY!!  Did they argue and bicker 
non stop growing up?  You bet!  And tattle.....my gosh if I had a 
nickle for every tattle I could buy Hogwarts Castle.

Just remember that even though these kids are from the same parents, 
they are each an individual just like you and me.

Susan