Banjo’s Guide to… Getting Along With Your Siblings!
Getting along with your siblings isn’t easy, all of the time. Banjo understands this and has decided to write a short letter explaining how to process these funny feelings, without getting too angry or frustrated at your loved ones.
A Letter from Banjo
Dear _____,
When I was a kitten, I lived with lots of other animals at the Robinson Street Shelter. Sometimes, Millie the lamb would skip off with my fluffiest ball of wool, or a cheeky piglet called Harold the Third would splash mud all over my best drawing. It was VERY ANNOYING at first, but I soon learned some tricks that helped us all get along…
Top Tips
Here are my 8 top tips for getting along with your siblings (and this works for cousins, friends and mucky piglets too!).
- Here’s a silly idea that almost always works! If you’re having an argument, try using funny voices when you talk to each other. It’s hard to stay annoyed with someone when both of you sound ridiculous!
- Not everybody likes doing the same things! It may seem strange that your sibling doesn’t always want to do the stuff that you love, but every person is different, and that’s OK! Why not give your brother or sister some space to do what they fancy instead, or take it in turns doing each of your favourite activities together.
- Some days are very tricky like rainy afternoons when everyone’s stuck indoors, and people start feeling irritated with each other. Try to remember that just like stormy skies, bad moods pass quickly and soon everything will feel brighter!
- You are probably good at different things, aren’t you? Do you know loads about dinosaurs? Does your sibling write brilliant stories? Why not help each other get into something new? Helping makes everyone feel good- and you’ll probably learn some cool skills too!
- If your sibling is driving you bananas, try your best to think of something that you like about them. Maybe they make you giggle like a hyena or you admire their speedy running. There’s something good about everyone- sometimes you just have to focus on that. This is VERY helpful to keep in mind whilst they’re loudly talking over your favourite TV show!
- Sometimes it really helps to be apart from your siblings for a bit. At Robinson Street Shelter, I’d go and curl up under the staircase to read my atlas when I needed some quiet time. After a little while, I couldn’t wait to go and play with the other animals again!
- As you know, one of my favourite things is letters. If you’re not getting along with your sibling, why don’t you sit down with a grown up and write a note for them. It will help them to understand why what they’re doing is making you cross, and you will feel calmer afterwards, having talked it over.
- Have you ever tried to imagine how another person feels? E.G. if you sing a song while someone else is trying to have a catnap, they might feel a bit annoyed! Trying to be aware of what other people feel is called EMPATHY and it’s like a superpower- it really helps you get along with people! Why not try it?
PS…
Don’t forget, it’s totally normal to not get along with your siblings for a little while… however, the important thing is to remember that you are on the same team. Brothers and sisters can be a nuisance, but they can also be the very best things ever invented!
Why not check out Banjo’s other guides?
