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I have a very small group (my 2 children plus 2 dck). My youngest is an infant and all other children (including the 2 dck's) are 2-2 1/2. I used to only have 1 dc child but added a second about a month ago. They both are good kids in their own right, but when put together I am having a lot of behavioral issues (including taking toys away from each other, yelling at each other, complaining to me about the other one, complaining about "ouchies" that don't exist, climbing on things that they never did before, and potty accidents). I believe that they are competing with each other.
I am also noticing that free play goes 2 ways: either they are fighting over the same toy or they independently take everything out and play with separate things. One of these scenarios I'm breaking up a fight and the other scenario I am battling them to pick up a million toys. In the end, free play always ends with me harking on them for one reason or the other.
I have wanted to add another child for some time, but I am having second thoughts. On one hand, I think adding a child who is 1-2 years older will mellow out my older dck, but I also wonder if it would be too much. I used to have a different child instead of my newest dck and everything ran very smoothly, but she was also a year older than the others.
Any suggestions for dealing with competition?
I am also noticing that free play goes 2 ways: either they are fighting over the same toy or they independently take everything out and play with separate things. One of these scenarios I'm breaking up a fight and the other scenario I am battling them to pick up a million toys. In the end, free play always ends with me harking on them for one reason or the other.
I have wanted to add another child for some time, but I am having second thoughts. On one hand, I think adding a child who is 1-2 years older will mellow out my older dck, but I also wonder if it would be too much. I used to have a different child instead of my newest dck and everything ran very smoothly, but she was also a year older than the others.
Any suggestions for dealing with competition?