Curbing older child's bad influence on the younger child.

Learn the best methods for helping your younger child who is being negatively influenced by their older sibling, with advice from Pamela Varady, PsyD Psychologist and Parenting Expert
Curbing an Older Child's Bad Influence On Younger Sibling
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Curbing older child's bad influence on the younger child.

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Often parents worry that the older sibling, typically a teen, is a bad influence on the younger sibling. They worry that the younger sibling is going to turn out like the older one and do drugs and alcohol, whatever the problem is. Actually, that typically is not true. More often than not, a younger sibling will not follow in that path, and instead will create a new path based on the negativity. If you do see a younger child following in the negative path of an older child, it's really important to become the kind of person that your child can talk to. Here's your opportunity to do it over again, to become that communicative parent. So, what you need to do is you go to the child, and you find ways to open up conversations about drugs, about alcohol, about sex. A good way to open it up is maybe you're watching a TV program together and somebody is using drugs or maybe you have a neighbor who's pregnant across the street, and you can talk about sex. But it's very important that you don't lecture your child. Children hate lectures and what it does is it shuts them down. Everything you say to your child, you want to be asking yourself, "Will this open up communication or will this close communication." If it's going to open it, keep on going. Be someone that they can go to with their questions.

Learn the best methods for helping your younger child who is being negatively influenced by their older sibling, with advice from Pamela Varady, PsyD Psychologist and Parenting Expert

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Pamela Varady, PsyD

Psychologist

Dr. Pamela Varady is a Child and Adult Psychologist and sought-after parenting expert. She has appeared as a relationship expert on NBC, Discovery Health Network, The Today Show and Fox TV.  Dr. Varady wrote a workbook, 15 Minutes To Sibling Harmony and conducts seminars and Purposeful Parenting Classes throughout Southern California. In addition, Dr. Varady operates Dynamic Learning and Listening Center for children with special needs with her husband, Dr. Jackson Varady and sister, Dr. Jennifer Glasser, who are also psychologists. Pamela lives in Santa Monica with her husband and 13 year old twin boys.

 

 

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