Dear Ann Cannon • I’m an only child raising three really great teenagers (seriously, they’re pretty cool). As experienced parents can attest (also well documented in “The Birth Order” book), our first two are close in age and COMPLETE opposites. The middle, introverted child is unassuming but rarely agrees to do anything others enjoy (and is miserable when it’s time to compromise). The other two are gregarious, which can feel pushy to others, and impatient when others won’t compromise.
My question: How can parents effectively encourage team building and fun among opposite sibling personalities? Perhaps such rifts are normal — it’s not uncommon for me to hear, “Love you, Mom, but you don’t know what it’s like to have siblings.