Sibling Rivalry

Isn't it funny how kids can be so close when they are young and then as they get older....it's like WW III? This is a picture of The Entrepreneur and The Princess taken outside of their school. It was taken in 1999. They used to play together and share everything. Now The Entrepreneur is 10 going on 17 and The Princess is 7. It seems the gap between them is more than 3 years. Due to the fact that I have teens in the home, The Entrepreneur wants to be with the big kids and she doesn't get it. She likes puppies, kittens and playful pets and he likes music video games and clothing.

I'm not too worried. I am 5 years older than my sister and 8 years older than my youngest sister and our "adopted" sister is 5 years older than me. We went through times when my mother could have killed us, but for the most part we are very close. We speak to each other regularly through phone calls, emails and this blog.

How did things change as we got older? When difficult situations arose, we looked out for each other. We came together as a close knit family unit and took care of business. When my sister was pregnant with The Chatterbox, I was the first one to lose my mind shopping for the unborn child. My unborn niece had the entire line of Baby Gap before she was even born. During my single days, my little sister was still young and I remember taking her to the movies to see the latest animated flick, then a trip to eat dinner and Baskin Robbins for dessert. Not too long ago, that was the same sister that saved The Diva from humiliation when she went through a growth spurt and her father had not paid the child support. Yes, my sister placed one call and had a gift card waiting for us at JCPenney's.

Sibling rivalry is a common occurrence. With time, love and nurturing from the family it can turn from WW III to the most beautiful relationships in a person's life. Encourage each child to be an individual and to explore their interests. There are times they may feel left out of their sibling's life. This is when you explain that friends may come and go, but a sibling is forever. I know that for some people siblings equal headaches. My heart goes out to all of you in that category. I hope that someday those relationships can be reconciled. As for me, I have been blessed that my sisters have enriched my life in so many ways.

So when I look at this picture I know in my heart that it will all be ok, even if they behave like a cat and mouse now...