Archive for the Siblings Category
Leaving Siblings Home Alone
My son is 11 and he is pretty certain that he is old enough to chaperone his 9-year-old brother when we go out for an evening. He thinks he’s ready to handle personal responsibility and we’re not agreeing. Many of his friends are in fact being left alone for some reasons, and he complains that we treat him like a baby. What do you think? How does a parent determine these things? He’s ticked off at having a “baby sitter”.
Dear Parent,
Requests to be left home alone can be very common at this age as many pre-teens are eager to “spread their wings” and begin to experience the independent spirit of adolescence.
Handling the Workload
Hi Sharon,
I have two children, 2 and 4. My four year old is beyond active. He’s a full time job and when I’m in the park or at a playground with them, he’s always taking off lickety split and running out of the secured area. I’m going crazy! Any suggestions for how I can manage [...]
Sibling Competition
Dear Sharon,
Our oldest son, (12), is spending two weeks at sleep away camp this summer for the first time. His younger brother, (7), is explosive on the subject. He is SO jealous and angry! How can we explain to him that he’s just not ready, and that we’re not ready for him to go away? [...]