Not so long ago, the word 'sibling' was generally taken to mean brothers and sisters who had both parents in common. Nowadays, with a much higher incidence of second marriages, relationship breakdown and single parent families, 'siblings' living under the same roof may often share one parent, or sometimes, in the case of step-children, none at all. The problems of persuading children to 'love their brother' or even tolerate them, are increasingly complex, and ca often dominate relationships within the household. Here a a few suggestions that might help.

1. NEVER compare your children. This is probably the single most important contributory factor in sibling rivalry.
2. Try not to typcast. If you refer to your children as 'the sporty one' ot the 'the clever one' you will tend to react on that basis.
3. Encourage children to co-operate rwther than to compete, particularly with play projects and household activities. Older children often enjoy helping younger siblings to master new skills.
4. Take a careful look at when, where and why conflicts occur. Make changes in the routine to avoid these occasions.
5. Notice and praise co-operative behaviour, being specific about the particular act you have noticed.
6. Being fair is very important to children. Being perceived as being fair is probably even more so.
7. Make sure children have time and space for their own activities and friends, and that their privacy and possessions are respected by all members of the family.
8. By planning activities that everyone can enjoy you build up a bank of shared memories. It is harder to stay cross with someone with whom you share a lot of happy experiences.
9. Try to build a wide repertoire of ideas that you can use to avoid and resolve conflicts.
10. If you spot potential problems early you can take action to avoid them before things 'blow up'.