Parent Login
English

How to Overcome Jealousy in Children

One emotion that can be discreetly introduced into your child’s life is jealousy. The sensation may come from his siblings, friends, or schoolmates, and something as straightforward as a new bike for his friend may cause your youngster to feel envious and jealous, so you must take action. All you can do to prevent your child from experiencing these unpleasant feelings before he makes a sudden, difficult-to-handle turn.

In order to help you deal with it before the child reaches the stage of danger, we tried to address this sensation that youngsters have in a way that may be natural in our post. To learn more, read on.

Sibling relationships can take many different forms. Perhaps you’re having to deal with the perfectly normal envy of a new big brother who envies the attention the new baby receives. Another issue you might be dealing with is an envious younger sibling who is frustrated that she can’t do everything her older brother does.

In either case, there are strategies you may use to lessen the temper tantrums the green-eyed monster might cause. Take steps to promote a good relationship between siblings and lessen sibling envy.

What causes jealousy between siblings?

Children become jealous as a result of their parent’s decisions. 

Jealousy starts when childhood manifests itself since a parent’s particular behavior may lead to rivalry between their kids. Here are some of the worst parenting errors to avoid if you don’t want your children to become envious.

#1 Pampering the child excessively

When a new child joins the family or when he meets a friend who is stronger than him, he may feel uncomfortable if you spoil the child a lot. Of course, the boy or buddy will understand why this is and may experience despair when he does not receive the same level of attention. As it progresses, what he desires and feels lacking, which could lead to envy in kids.

#2 Overprotection

Excessive kid protection followed by abrupt abandonment of such protection equates to abruptly releasing the child into the wild. Naturally, from his perspective, this causes him to become cautious and reserved when interacting with others, which makes other kids envious of him when he observes a kid who exudes self-assurance in front of him.

#3 Excessive child control

Another big error made by parents is exercising excessive control over their children. This may be the exact reverse of what was discussed above and causes jealousy in kids. The implementation of stringent rules and restrictions without providing justification will have an impact on the child, cause them to develop low self-esteem, and make them feel inferior to their siblings or friends.

#4 Comparative behavior

Comparing children to one another or even to other kids who are about the same age is a big mistake made by parents. Comparisons may only result in competition, lack of confidence, and jealousy between kids.

#5 Making unhealthy rivalry the norm

One child may be more talented than the other, but insisting on doing the same activity with equal accuracy can prove incorrect, which can cause a sense of jealousy among children. Having children complete the same action and compare their results would create unhealthy competition between them.

How to handle a child’s jealousy

Before dealing with jealousy in children, be sure that you do not feel jealous of your brothers, friends, neighbors, or anyone else. If you do, this will undoubtedly show in your behavior, which your children will pick up on without you realizing. Without getting rid of this feeling from your life and heart, you will not be able to deal with jealousy in your child in an effective manner. Here are some strategies for handling children’s jealousy:

#1 Convert resentment into aspiration

Giving your child the energies of a positive channel is an excellent way to help him cope with his negative emotions and work toward rich and positive goals. For instance, if your child is sad because his friend is getting good grades and he is jealous of it, encourage him and urge him to study more and get better grades.

You’ll see that as soon as your youngster makes an effort to study, his attention will be diverted to the subject at hand and away from how one is meant to overcome envy.

#2 Pay attention to the child’s feelings

Most of the time, a child’s jealousy and envy are deeply ingrained in them because they are motivated by a particular issue or worry.

Talk to your child, find out why he is envious of a specific person, and then listen to his feelings without making comments that can annoy him.

There may be instances where your child lacks self-esteem and confidence, is unsure enough of his excellent traits, and as a result, displays envy toward another person. In these instances, you can reaffirm these traits.

#3 Set a positive example for your kid

Setting a good example and praising people for their humor, good manners, or any other characteristic they may possess in front of your child are two more effective ways to underline the value of having pleasant feelings for everyone.

#4 Encourage your child to love you

We’re not saying you don’t like your son, but this is to demonstrate that he needs all the love and care he can get at this point in his life. No matter the situation, swaying parents in the direction of love and care may always resolve issues and hasten the process of making things right. Protect your child with your love to boost his confidence.

Final word

Most importantly avoid trying to compare one child’s performance to that of another because doing so diminishes the value of that child in front of himself and may be the root of many long-term issues. Comparisons also lead kids to believe that “you love them more than me” or “you think it is better,” which is the main reason behind every jealousy.