How do you deal? My youngest, son age 6, and daughter age 5. I promise you they daily manufacture reasons to fight. I have the Diva Herself who provokes my son to the point of madness and The Prince who is the owner and keeper of all toys, even hers.

They have also taught me to always compliment in pairs. If I tell one what a good job he or she did, the other will jump through hoops to get the same or better compliment. My son is a great artist, for example, and my daughter just can't be bothered with staying in the lines. If I say, Good Job, Jordan, she (whose feet I don't think has ever touched a flight of stairs for being carried all the time) will fold her arms and start with the crocodile tears saying I don't think she is good at coloring.

What on earth? I vaguely recall a little rivalry between my brother and me and it exasperating my mother.

I tend to think children who were born close together tend to bicker with each other more. Maybe you can extinguish their competitiveness by not praising them infront of each other? Perhaps whisper a praise ... may not work if the one you are praising starts bragging to the other though...

Maybe they just want the attention so while you're telling one they colored nicely... you can tell the other one she's wearing a beautiful yellow ribbon... etc... That way you don't feel like you have to match the praise equally and it wouldn't be lying.

I think they'll outgrow it in a few years.