Children may feel resentful when parents push them into each other s turf, reports Kathy Thorburg, Ph. When a parent compares two siblings, it puts pressure in sports, school, and any other aspects of life on the younger child . Parents inadvertently play favorites with their children. The favorite child may not always be the cutest, smartest, kindest, or most thoughtful. It is not humanly possible for a parent to love each child the same.
Children can cause their own rivalry without any input from parents.
Fighting is not rivalry, but is sometimes caused by it. Sometimes children pick fights with their sibs because they are mad at themselves and there is no one else to take out their anger on. Other times, kids may pick a fight because they are mad at a friend or parent. Because they cannot hit their mother or father, the child usually uses his sibling as the punching bag. Some children fight just to see the show their parents put on when they come to yell at the guilty instigator.