agony aunt in the house!

Not only is the CEO of Parentline Plus visiting the Press Office today - so am i! And who she, I hear you cry? Suzie Hayman, trustee of PLP. I'm a stepmum, now a grannie (a very young one, i do insist!) and a regular spokesperson for Parentline. I'm an agony aunt, a relationship counsellor and a parenting practitioner. And all round general smartarse!



In fact, before coming down to the office this morning i did an interview on BBC Radio Tees on the subject of sibling rivalry. It's funny, because it's one of the few issues i don't have personal experience of - i'm an only child. As is my stepson. and probably, so will be his daughter. But i've done a lot of research into the subject and it is fascinating. Peter has a younger brother and sister, Angela has a younger brother and Sue has a younger sister.



Is there something about Press Offices that means they all have to be the bossy older siblings?? Because one thing shines out about siblings - where you are in the family and whether it's same sex or opposite sex who are above you or below has an awful lot to do with how you react - and who you become. one of the things i was saying to listeners this morning was that sibling rivalry is pretty well hard wired into us. finding your kids feel jealous and competitive isn't a sign of failure on your part, at all. But i suppose you can limit it and manage it, and that's the important thing.



Top tips? Praise and value your kids for who they are, each one - no comparisons, even when they are driving you up the wall and you're longing to scream "Why can't you be like your nice little sister???!!!". And have a think about your own upbringing, because we often follow patterns; if you've had a bad time with a sibling, you may pass that on. Most of all, enjoy them; if you enjoy your kids, they're more likely to enjoy each other!



suzie