{"id":8736,"date":"2017-11-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-06T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/a-surprising-antidote-for-sibling-rivalry\/"},"modified":"2017-11-06T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-11-06T06:00:00","slug":"a-surprising-antidote-for-sibling-rivalry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/articles\/topics\/parenting\/foundations\/character-development\/a-surprising-antidote-for-sibling-rivalry\/","title":{"rendered":"A Surprising Antidote for Sibling Rivalry"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After pouring over my information for years really, something hit me. Almost all sibling rivalry problems are rooted in one thing. That one thing is selfishness.<\/p>\n

Greed, jealousy, needing attention, and inability to understand others all have roots in being selfish. \u201cI want it my way and no one else matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

I wondered what could be done in my children\u2019s lives to affect their tendency to act this way. Then I came across the story of six-year-old Zach Bonne. He is an ordinary kid from Florida. He heard on the radio that people in New Orleans needed water after Hurricane Katrina hit. He set out with a red wagon into his neighborhood to collect water to send to Louisiana. He ended up sending 27 truckloads of water.<\/p>\n

Zach has since walked 280 miles to raise money for food in his hometown and done countless other things for his community and the people who live in it. His actions are the epitome of unselfish behavior.<\/p>\n

Working and giving alongside our children<\/h2>\n

I believe we can change the hearts of our children by actively giving our time to others. In fact, this has become a real passion in my home. My kids might never become another Zach, but they don\u2019t have to either. Doing small things for others is really what I\u2019m after.<\/p>\n

There is much anecdotal evidence of children who take the time to volunteer having a very high degree of love for each other and everyone around them. There are abundant acts of charity our children can participate in with<\/em> us. With<\/em> is emphasized because parents must model the new behavior by working alongside their children. It also provides us with fun, heartwarming tasks to accomplish as a family.<\/p>\n

There are so many positive benefits to charity work! Not only are you helping an individual, family, or group in need, but the benefits to you and your family are immeasurable. Your time is probably the best contribution you can make to another human being.<\/p>\n

It is this kind of generosity, shared by parents and their children, that leads to a generation of youngsters with strong, caring souls.<\/p>\n

Here are some initial ideas of charitable tasks parents and their children can do together.<\/p>\n