Parents must not play ‘favorites,' expert says

Abu Dhabi, 17 November 2014: Dr. Michael Kaplan, a clinical professor at Yale Child Study Centre, USA, will be offering advice to parents in the UAE on how they can take an impartial approach when parenting their children to avoid sibling rivalry.

The ‘Parenting Talks’ are hosted by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, in collaboration with Yale University, as a part of its Early Childhood Development (ECD) Program.

Dr. Michael Kaplan will be addressing the dynamics and factors that contribute to the clash between siblings at the Parenting Talk, ‘Can’t You Get Along? Parenting Your Children Beyond Sibling Rivalry,’ held at the Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi on November 17, and in Al Ain Municipality Auditorium on November 18 at 7pm. Both sessions are free and open to the public.

“Sibling rivalry occurs most commonly because one child thinks the other is receiving more attention,” says Dr. Michael Kaplan. “Every child vies for their parent’s attention and the busier the parents are, the more competitive they become. Parents often do not realize that they are playing ‘favorites’ when they praise one child more than the other, or spend more time with one child than the other. Parents need to keep in mind that they must spend equal time with every child.”

Conflicting relationships can occur due to the children’s age gap, gender, and individual temperament, however, one of the most important factors is parental attitude as the children’s rivalry is driven from the parents’ finite attention. Parents can also unintentionally compare children with one another by giving statements like ‘Why can’t you be more like your brother/sister’, which can to elicit jealousy and weaken bonding between siblings.

Understanding the long-term impact of sibling rivalry is dependent on the parent’s effectiveness in dealing with the issue and the ‘Can’t You Get Along? Parenting Your Children Beyond Sibling Rivalry’ sessions aims to provide tips and guidance based upon the latest science and clinical experience.
Sheikha Shamsa bint Mohammed Al Nahyan, leader and patron of the Foundation’s Early Childhood Development program said, “By providing information on best practices that promote healthy outcomes for children and their caregivers, our Parent Talks will continue to create a culture committed to early childhood development within the UAE and the Arab Gulf Region.”

Running successfully for the second year, the Parenting Program is comprised of a series of engaging parenting talks and classes offered by world leaders in Early Childhood Development, designed to support and empower parents and other caregivers of young children and to provide information on best practices that promote healthy outcomes for children.

The Parenting Talks, running till 18 May 2015 will cover the following topics: ‘Bullying Experience in Youth: Nature and Intervention’, ‘Becoming a parent’, and ‘Children, Parents and the Media: Friend or foe for families in the digital and wireless age’.