The comedy team The Smothers Brothers struck a chord when they capitalized on sibling rivalry in their routine “Mom Always Liked You Best.” People laughed because they understood the family tensions in Tom and Dick Smothers’ silliness.
When children, even adult children, feel as if one parent loves a brother or sister over them, it can cause trouble and incite fights between the siblings. Children become competitive, always vying for parental approval, constantly wanting to be better in some way than their brothers or sisters.
Children judge themselves on their looks, their intelligence, their sports prowess, and other things that seem important, and they may feel as though they do not measure up to a brother or sister’s standard in a parent’s eyes. The result? Tension. A competitive spirit among the siblings. Rivalry.
Now it’s your turn: Write an advice column to someone who is experiencing sibling rivalry, whether real or imagined. Or write to a friend who is experiencing feelings of self-doubt due to real or perceived sibling rivalry. What can you tell them that will help them through this hard time? What bit of advice will give them hope?
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Are your writers struggling? Do you wish you could figure out why your children won’t write? Would you love to have a peaceful writing class experience?
Help your struggling writers—and you!—by identifying five hurdles to writing. Then learn practical actions you can take against those hurdles.
This article by me in The Old Schoolhouse magazine is also loaded with links to other helpful posts that will give you and your writers some welcome relief.
Click here to drain some of the tension from your writing class
Frustrated that your students don’t finish an essay or don’t know the steps to complete one? Worry no more! Click here for my latest article in The Informer about a super-practical writing schedule you WILL use!
