Before I had my second child, I read all about how to welcome your second child, how to treat the older child, I happened to space my children according to Doctor Brassilton's schedule on what he thought was good space. There's a lot of advice about sibling rivalry, and I got to tell you, it doesn't always work. My 2 wonderful children got along great as little kids, but when adolescence started happening, middle school started happening, they were at each others' throats. A lot of jealousy. A lot of competition. You love one more than you love me etc. And all kids say this. And I don't even know if they mean it. But they sure know that it gets mom and dad when you say you love her more than you love me. You love him more than you love me. When kids squabble, best thing - don't get into it. Try to stay out of it. Let them solve their own problems. Unless one kid is really beating up on the other, obviously you have to rescue your child or if one kid is very verbally mean. Yes, you have to stop that. But in general, sometimes if your kids get along, sometimes play well together, sometimes you hear them laughing and just doing fine, you'll know that you have probably done a lot of the right things. Because that's the sign that temporary conflict is not as much of a problem as you thought.