There is a very good reason why the term sibling rivalry came to be. There is hardly a chance for two or more siblings growing up together not to experience any type of rivalry or disagreements. However, how such moments are handled can set a tone for their relationship, both in childhood and adulthood. Even if, on the surface, you’re caught mitigating squabbles over who gets the last slice of pizza and who has better toys, the underlying reason stems from family dynamics. Here are three effective ways to deal with such rivalry.

1. Encourage and Celebrate Individuality

Sibling rivalry can stem from such factors as birth order and competing for the attention of the parents. Although facts such as temperament or age differences are impossible to change, there are ways to mitigate the resulting rivalry. By avoiding assigning labels or categories, treat each child as the individual they are and make sure that they feel like their individuality is being celebrated and valued. If one child enjoys video games, grab a controller and play with them. If the other is a pet and animal enthusiast, encourage them and talk about their favorite topic.

2. Create Cooperative Sibling Environments

Never encourage competition between your children by comparing them to one another or playing favorites. Instead, teach each sibling to compromise and create opportunities for cooperation, such as joined arts and crafts projects or team sports. Set a good example in the way that you communicate and cooperate with your spouse.

3. Intervene Appropriately

When fights and disagreements between siblings occur, it’s important to handle them right. Don’t play the blame game and focus on each child’s role in the argument. Listen actively and respect each child’s feelings. Try to provide tools for proper communication so they can better mitigate arguments in the future. If punishments are necessary, have that conversation in private to not shame the child in front of other siblings.

Fathers should take their paternity leave. There are numerous studies showing that new parents who take on paid leave have healthier, happier, and more energetic children. Furthermore, this creates a stronger parent-child relationship and helps fathers and mothers deal with the stress of becoming a parent.

Paternity leave can be about much more than changing diapers, feeding babies, and putting them to sleep. It can be an amazing and awesome experience that proud dads will remember forever.

Here are three interesting ways to make paternity leave fun:

1. Plan Family Weekends

Whether men have one or eight children, the scenario with newborn babies is always the same. The extended family will be eager to meet and take photos of their newest relative, the wife will need time to recuperate after giving birth, and other children (if any are present) will need time to adjust to the presence of their sibling. Hosting family weekends is the best way to deal with all that. Organize BBQ parties, take older kids to the playground, or simply have a movie night with lots of popcorn.

2. Make a To-Do List for the Paternity Leave

Newborns sleep a lot! In fact, they sleep throughout most of the day, which leaves fathers with plenty of time to organize their homes and prepare for their children’s next feeding and diaper changing routine. But, they also have time to focus on themselves, meaning they can use their newly found free time to tackle projects or acquire skills that they have been postponing. Read a book, visit a museum, or just finish repairing the leaning fence.

3. Spend Money

Paternity leave isn’t a vacation and having a child can be more expensive than most people think. But becoming a father is a significant milestone, which should be celebrated by a worthy gift. From luxurious watches to designer clothes to new Jordans, fathers should find the time and means to treat themselves.

There are different ways to make parental leave an outstanding experience and the best part is that fathers get to see their children evolve as each day passes.