How to help siblings become great friends
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Pamela Varady, PsyD Psychologist and Parenting Expert, shares advice for parents on how to teach kids about their special relationship and become friends
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One of the ways that we can get our kids to be closer is by teaching them the significance of being in a sibling relationship. Some kids don't get it; they don't get that this is going to be the longest and most significant and deepest relationship they may ever have. And so we need to teach it to them; it doesn't necessarily come naturally. Sometimes I kid around and I say, "Who do you think can give you a kidney?" and the kid gets it right away. Another way of doing it would be to tell the kids that this is a special relationship, and it's so special that we're going to celebrate it. We're going to do something called sibling day, and every week we are gonna go out and celebrate this holiday just because you two are siblings. You're brothers, or you're brothers and sisters. That's what we're gonna do. And so sibling day is a special celebration; it's not based on whether or not the kids are behaving or not. If it was based on that, you'd never go out. It's based on the fact that they're in a relationship, that they're connected. So you may go to the pier and do something really fun or something simple like sitting in mommy's bed, the brothers and sisters together watching TV, eating candy, that you normally don't do. But simply by labeling it sibling day, it wraps specialness and warmth to it, and one child can look at the other and say, "Wow, I get to do this because I have a brother or I have a sister."
Pamela Varady, PsyD Psychologist and Parenting Expert, shares advice for parents on how to teach kids about their special relationship and become friends
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Pamela Varady, PsyDPsychologist
Dr. Pamela Varady is a Child and Adult Psychologist and sought-after parenting expert. She has appeared as a relationship expert on NBC, Discovery Health Network, The Today Show and Fox TV. Dr. Varady wrote a workbook, 15 Minutes To Sibling Harmony and conducts seminars and Purposeful Parenting Classes throughout Southern California. In addition, Dr. Varady operates Dynamic Learning and Listening Center for children with special needs with her husband, Dr. Jackson Varady and sister, Dr. Jennifer Glasser, who are also psychologists. Pamela lives in Santa Monica with her husband and 13 year old twin boys.
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