It is very normal for sibling rivalry to occur at various stages in children's lives. Some adults continue to have sibling rivalry!! For a first-born child, who has had constant and total attention from parents, to begin to realise that the new addition actually demands time and attention away from them, is often quite a challenging experience. It is helpful to remember that a change to a group, family or work place, always changes the dynamics and interactions between members. Once two or more children are in the family, the way we interact as adults, parents or grandparents undergoes change, and so does the behaviour of a child. Despite claims by the older child that they love their new baby, they will also at times find it frustrating and challenging and usually they will not possess the ability to think through this experience in an adult type way. Therefore, they may revert to baby like behaviour themselves, and they may become quite physical with the baby. These behaviours are not because the child has suddenly become a monster, but because they are finding the new situation difficult. Often the first few months won't bring about much change. It is often when the baby starts to be more obvious and demanding that things can become challenging for the older child. There are no quick fixes for sibling rivalry. However, ensuring the older child still has special times alone with parents, and for parents not to over react to the rivalry, helps everyone work through this period.