Parenting Perspective 

Frame Chores as Joint Missions 

Shared responsibilities can be a powerful tool for strengthening sibling bonds, but only if they are framed positively. Instead of using chores as a punishment, present them as joint family missions: ‘Let’s see how quickly the two of you can get this room tidy together!’ This turns a chore into an opportunity for teamwork. Assigning complementary tasks, like one child washing the dishes while the other dries, makes it clear that each person’s contribution is essential for success. 

Reinforce Cooperation Through Praise 

After a task is complete, reinforce the lesson with reflective questions: ‘Did it feel good to get that done together?’ It is also important to praise specific moments of cooperation, especially when one child helps the other without being asked. Over time, these shared efforts create a genuine sense of partnership and teach siblings that they can rely on one another. 

From Rivalry to Shared Responsibility 

By carefully designing shared responsibilities and affirming their value, you transform daily tasks into lessons in unity, patience, and respect. This helps your children move from a mindset of rivalry to one of shared family responsibility. 

Spiritual Insight 

Cooperate in Righteousness 

Islam encourages cooperation in all good deeds. Teaching siblings to share responsibilities is not just a practical household strategy; it is a way of instilling the core Islamic value of helping one another in righteousness. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Maaidah (5), Verse 2: 

‘ …And participate with each other to promote righteousness and piety, and do not collaborate in the committal of any sin or moral transgression…’ 

Like a Single Body 

The prophetic tradition gives a beautiful analogy for believers, describing them as a single body. When one part is in pain, the whole body responds. This teaches that unity, mutual care, and compassion are essential for a strong and healthy family. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, 2586, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The believers, in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy, are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds with wakefulness and fever.’ 

Living Our Faith Through Teamwork 

When children learn to see shared responsibilities as a chance to practise cooperation for the sake of Allah, they understand that helping each other is a way of living their faith. This insight nurtures sibling unity and deepens mutual respect, helping to build a home that is filled with harmony and barakah.