Raising Loving Siblings How to Stop the Fighting and Help Your Kids Connect

by Caspi, Jonathan

• ISBN13: 9781462538881
• ISBN10: 1462538886
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781462556625
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2024-12-15
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

“Be nice to your sister!” “Stop picking on your brother!” “That's a time-out for both of you." When nothing works to stop the incessant battles, where can exhausted parents turn? Sibling expert and family therapist Jonathan Caspi knows that understanding why kids fight is the first essential step to restoring peace. Featuring clear principles, dos and don'ts, and loads of stories, this book shines a spotlight on family dynamics. Dr. Caspi guides you to make an effective plan for managing conflicts, so you can keep a cool head in the heat of the moment. Learn why it's never helpful to compare kids to each other, how to quell sibling struggles without taking sides, when to intervene (and when to step back), and what to do when parents aren't on the same page. Improving sibling relationships can have lifelong benefits for your family. This compassionate book shows how.

Author Biography

Jonathan Caspi, PhD, MSW, is Professor of Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Dr. Caspi is an internationally recognized sibling expert. In addition to researching, writing, and teaching about families and siblings, he has been a family therapist for over 30 years, and has a private practice in New Jersey. 

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. “Can’t You Two Just Get Along?”: Going from Sibling Conflict to Sibling Closeness
2. “Time for a Family Meeting!”: Preparing for Sibling Conflict Before It Erupts
3. “Stop Fighting Right This Instant!”: Managing Sibling Conflict When It Erupts
4. “I Love All My Children the Same”: Dealing with Perceived Favoritism
5. “This Is My Angel and This Is My Devil”: Avoiding Sibling Comparisons
6. “You’re Just Like Your Father!”: Dissolving Rigid Parent–Child Teams
7. “This Is My Athletic Child”: Helping Children Find Their Special Talent without Hurting Their Siblings
8. “But I Love Baseball”: Curbing Your Own Biases
9. “Leave Him Alone! Your Brother Has an Issue”: Spotting Crafty Attention-Getting Behaviors
10. “Can’t You Two Find Something To Do?!”: Addressing Boredom and Providing Structure
Bibliography
Index