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Children / Mama Drama / Motherhood / School

Mama Drama: Brotherly Love and Playgroup Problems

Lisa Vratny-Smith 3 Comments

Dear Mama Drama: I have three sons, ages 7, 4, and 2. Everyday after picking up my oldest son from school, within five minutes either the seven year old or four year old is crying. The struggles are often related to rude behavior and hitting. The oldest wants time to himself at this time of day and the younger brothers have been eagerly awaiting his return. The reconnection between the oldest and youngest is a love fest, but the middle and oldest set each other off. It seems like this should be a fun and exciting part of our day, but it quickly deteriorates into frustration for all of us. ~Hoping for a peaceful ride home Dear Hoping: Kids put out a ton of energy being at school all day and even though they may be running around, they are often exhausted emotionally and physically. Re-enter...

Children / Mama Drama / Motherhood

Mama Drama: Sibling Rivalry and Playtime Struggles

Lisa Vratny-Smith 6 Comments

Dear Mama Drama, I recently took my 6 and 8 year old daughters to a pumpkin carving contest. It is a wonderful family event that focuses more on community than competition, but the pumpkins are judged and there are winners. My 6 year old won and my 8 year old did not.  At first, the 8 year old was very supportive of her sister, but then she started crying. When we finally got to the root of the problem, she was upset that she had given her sister ideas and that her sister had won and she didn’t. This sibling competition expresses itself frequently in negative ways in our family and I am unsure how to react or what to do about it.  Growing up most of my life as an only child, I really don’t understand and am not very sympathetic to sibling rivalry. How can I encourage my childre...