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  • 2 Player Games to Encourage Sibling Bonding

    2 Player Games to Encourage Sibling Bonding

    Sibling bonding time has been provided by Pressman® Toy. All opinions are my own. 

    2 player games that encourage sibling bonding

    You may also enjoy: Encouraging a Natural Sibling Bond with a New Baby

    Ah siblings. I grew up loving spending every minute of my free time with my siblings because we loved each other so much!

    That is until we didn’t. We had a lot of great moments, but we also had a lot of fights and bad attitudes at times too. That’s perfectly normal for every family. I try to remind myself of that when my kids are fighting.  

    Thankfully, there are some fun ways to encourage sibling bonding. Recently we’ve found that having a few 2-player games has helped the kids bond one-on-one with each other. They aren’t games I particularly enjoy playing with them, which is perfect because then they must play with a sibling. 

    Mastermind encourages sibling bonding and analytical thinking

    The first one I’d like to share with you is called MasterMind. I had never heard of this game until Mark picked it up at a yard sale one day. Apparently, it was his favorite childhood game and he was stoked to find it again. Now the kids love challenging each other to break their color codes. 

    Mastermind from Pressman® Toys

    I love this game because it teaches them how to analytical thinking. Each move reveals some piece of a code the other player has created in secret. It takes careful thought on both sides of this game because one wrong answer could throw the whole round out. 

    Mastermind encourages sibling bonding and analytical thinking

    The next game the kids have recently come to enjoy is Hydrostrike. It reminds me of air hockey and pinball. The goal is to hit the ball just right in the other players home to make the lever spray them with water. 

    Hydrostrike encourages sibling bonding

    My kids have been all over this game. Some of them think it’s so fun to get wet, that they will intentionally make the water go off on their own side. 

    Hydrostrike encourages sibling bonding

    What I love about this game is the immense amount of laughter I consistently hear when this one is pulled out. I think instead of those extra large “get along shirts” when my kids are fighting, I’ll insist they challenge each other to a game of Hydrostrike. There’s just no way they could still be fighting at the end of it. 

    Hydrostrike encourages sibling bonding

    What are your favorite 2 player games? I’d love to have more resources to encourage the sibling bonding!

  • Encouraging a Natural Sibling Bond with a New Baby

    Encouraging a Natural Sibling Bond with a New Baby

    A natural sibling bond is not something that can be forced. It can, however, be encouraged. This post is sponsored by The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

    Encouraging a Natural Sibling Bond with a New Baby. ad Grab this No-Stress No-Fluff Guide to New Baby Essentials

    I worried the kids would have a hard time bonding with our new baby. It had been 5 years since our last baby, and I just didn’t really know what to expect. Most of the kids were excited about having a new sibling, but there were a few times they shared their worries with me. My favorite came from Lincoln

    What if the baby sucks on my toys?!

    It’s been 9 months since Harold joined our family, and life has been pretty blissful. Anytime the kids are feeling down, they seem to find a way to smile by spending a little time with their baby brother. The sibling bond I see each of them developing is heartwarming.

    Most mornings it’s a race between the kids to get to Harold when they hear even the tiniest little peeps. The younger kids are allowed to hang out with him until Mom gets there. Their latest favorite is to climb in the crib with him. Now that he can sit up, he thinks it’s the best way to wake up too. 

    Sibling bonding happens naturally, but can be encouraged with these simple steps. ad

    Venice has been allowed a bit more responsibility. Now that she’s 11, I’m working on trusting more. I’ve been hovering for 11 years, and now I need to trust that she can make good decisions. This is the first and most important tip when encouraging a natural sibling bond. 

    She can get him up. 

    Learning to trust her to carry Harold was probably the hardest part of letting go of her baby years. Teach your older kids how to hold a baby, with practice and supervision, eventually you’ll know they can safely transport baby from room to room. This becomes super helpful when I’m dealing with tantrums from other kids. Those first smiles when Harold wakes up are a treat I can’t keep to myself. By allowing the other kids to enjoy his happy attitude allows them to bond while in their best moods.

    Encourage sibling bonding. ad

    Get him dressed. 

    Older kids, especially my girls, love picking out clothes for their younger siblings. When they are a baby this is a great time for them to bond over fashion. Trusting their fashion sense…well, it’s pretty easy when most of the baby’s clothes already match. Even if they don’t, let them enjoy this special time. It will be something they can bond over through the years as they dress each other up for Halloween, the First Day of School, Picture Days, and just for fun days. 

    Help siblings bond with a new baby. teach them to dress the baby. ad

    Even change his diaper.

    Not her favorite part of becoming responsible, but an important step in learning to be helpful. I feel that changing a diaper helps kids grow close together. Sounds silly, I know, but when you have to spend time caring for someone who can’t care for their own body yet, there’s a certain love that grows. 

    Help Siblings bond with a new baby by teaching them to change a diaper. ad Parent’s Choice new Premium Line of diapers has made it easier for me to trust the kids – all of them, not just Venice – change Harold’s diaper. The time-to-change indicator helps the kids know exactly when his diaper is ready to be changed. On top of the savings we get from Walmart’s diapers, this keeps us from going through diapers too fast. 

    Yes, I had kids claim he needed a change, just because he was crying. By showing them how the yellow line changed to blue when it needs changing, this has helped immensely. Now I can make dinner, the kids can bond with Harold, AND we can save money all at the same time!

    Extensively researched, Parent's Choice is the experienced mom's choice of diaper. ad

    At a fraction of the cost of other leading diaper brands, Parent’s Choice Premium Diapers offer quality and value that every parent needs in a diaper. This new line also features an anti-leakage barrier around the legs. This is KEY when encouraging a bond between siblings because NO older sibling will want to change a diaper that has leaked all over the place. 

    Trust me on this one – when diapers explode the kids will not change it – a problem we have not had since switching to the Premium line. 

    Encourage a natural Sibling Bond, by trusting your older kids and allowing them opportunities to be responsible for their younger siblings. 

    How do you encourage a Natural Sibling Bond?