This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BOSEbuild for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
My daughters are 6 years apart, and at first I worried that they wouldn’t be close because of their age difference.
However, as soon as my youngest daughter started walking and talking, they were able to actually play with each other. These girls have been pretty much inseparable since!
I love watching them laugh, snuggle, create and imagine together. Of course there are the occasional sisterly squabbles, but they are truly best friends. The sibling age gap didn’t turn out to be the issue I expected.
Here are some of the ways to build a strong bond when there’s a sibling age gap:
Prioritize the Family
When you place an importance on the family unit, siblings will naturally feel a loyalty towards each other. Shared experiences are a fundamental way to develop a strong bond and create years worth of memories to relive together!
Some of the ways we emphasize our family:
- Eat family dinner together every night.
- Designate a “family day” once a week where we all do something together, whether it’s letting loose at the playground or visiting the zoo.
- A group hug before bedtime
Give each child one-on-one time
It might seem counterintuitive at first to encourage kids to spend time away from each other. However, no matter how much we love someone, there are times we need a break!
Spending special time alone with each child will reaffirm that they are important to you as an individual. It can also help deter resentment towards their sibling(s).
Find activities they can do together
Depending on the size of the sibling age gap, these activities might look different for your family than ours. However, one thing that is universal no matter a person’s age is music.
My daughters love to sing and dance to their favorite tunes, which we call our family “jams.” These are songs that the whole family can enjoy together.
How kids can share their love of music:
- Create a family playlist with tracks that everyone can enjoy. These don’t necessarily have to be “kid songs” — we love cheesy 80’s music because so many selections are upbeat, family-friendly, and are nostalgic for Mom & Dad.
- Dance parties! Almost every day we will take a few minutes to let loose and boogie. Dancing is a mood-booster and great exercise. I also play music when we do chores, which makes the time fly by!
- A speaker just for the kids, that they can keep in their room and play their special jams. The BOSEbuild Speaker Cube is the perfect way for our girls to share their love of music with a speaker to call their very own.
The BOSEBuild Speaker Cube is a bluetooth speaker with BOSE-quality sound that kids get to build themselves. Kids even get to customize their finished cube with lights and silhouette covers. How cool is that?!
My oldest daughter (8) was able to easily follow the instructions on the free mobile app and put together the speaker cube. She barely needed any assistance from Mom! There are even mini-games throughout the process that allow kids to explore how sound is made.
My youngest daughter watched in awe, every now and then offering her very enthusiastic approval: “That’s amazing!”
Your kids can have a blast with the “Build-it-yourself” BOSEbuild Speaker Cube too! Pre-order at https://build.bose.com for $149 (suggested age is 8+) — it’s perfect for holiday wish lists!
With the BOSEbuild Speaker Cube, your kids will build more than just a speaker, they’ll build strong brains and strong bonds too! How do you encourage your kids to discover the world around them? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
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Last updated on February 9th, 2019 at 06:27 pm
lissa crane says
August 24, 2016 at 8:39 amThese are great ideas! My kiddo’s are also several years apart and these are helpful tips!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
August 24, 2016 at 11:43 amGlad you liked them! Thanks for reading 🙂