I have a 2 yr old DD and 1 yr old DS. DD is partly jealous of him and I think partly really frustrated that he's still to young to really play with/ alongside her. He wants to play with her, but it drives her mad (understandably) that his version of "playing" is to bundle in on top of what she's doing.
Every time DS picks up a toy, DD wants it. If I give him something else so she can play with said toy, she dumps it and wants the new thing he has.
She pulls him off our garden toys when I'm not looking, pushes him out of her way, pulls his hair, wallops him etc.
He's going through the screaming/ squealing phase that babies go through just before they start walking/ talking/ feeding themselves properly and are really frustrated. The squealing irritates her almost as much as it does me and she reacts by being vile to him. Doesn't help that he's going through a phase of crying if you as much as look at him the wrong way.
She does understand she's not supposed to do these things. Often says sorry and often kisses and hugs him, although these often turn into 'death hugs' with her arms round his neck.
Help me. Do I just have to ride it out for another year until they're a bit more evenly matched? I've bought some "sibling rivalry" books but they don't help at all with toddlers. They're aimed at children who have gained some reasoning powers.
I spend my days trying to keep them apart or referring the squabbles. They occasionally play nicely beside each other (I would say they're not ready for proper interactive play yet), but there are only brief moments before it all goes tits up.
I think I spent most of today shouting at DD to leave DS alone, or trying to keep him away from her so she could play in peace. She will sit for ages and do things like play-do at the table, but it seems mean leaving her in the kitchen to play alone while I try to keep DS out of her hair.
Help, help, help!