Parenting Perspective 

Choose Activities That Bridge the Age Gap 

When siblings of different ages play together, younger children can often feel left behind and older ones can become frustrated. To encourage more inclusive play, it is helpful to choose activities that naturally allow everyone to contribute. Games that mix luck with skill, like board games with dice, give younger children a fair chance. For physical activities, you can make gentle adjustments, like giving the younger child a head start in a race or having the older child act as a team captain instead of a competitor. 

Rotate Roles and Celebrate Teamwork 

It is also powerful to set up games where siblings must cooperate to succeed. Activities like scavenger hunts or building a large Lego set are excellent for this. Rotate roles regularly so that the older child is not always the leader. It is also important to highlight and praise inclusive behaviour: ‘I loved how you helped your brother take his turn.’ This reinforces the idea that kindness is more valuable than being the strongest or fastest player. 

Focus on Strengthening Bonds 

By designing games thoughtfully and praising cooperation, you help your children see playtime not as a source of rivalry but as an opportunity to strengthen their bonds, no matter their age differences. This helps create a home where games become opportunities for growth and laughter, not humiliation. 

Spiritual Insight 

Siblings Should Be Guided to Peace 

Islam emphasises the importance of maintaining peace and unity within the family. The relationship between believers is described as a brotherhood, and this applies most strongly to siblings, who should be guided towards cooperation and love. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verse 10: 

‘Indeed, the believers are brothers (to each other); so, make peace with your brothers; and seek piety from Allah (Almighty) so that you may receive His Mercy.‘ 

Be Merciful to Those on Earth 

The prophetic tradition teaches that showing mercy to others is a direct means of receiving mercy from Allah. Encouraging an older child to be kind and inclusive towards a younger sibling is a beautiful, practical way of living this teaching. 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, 1924, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The merciful are shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on earth, and the One above the heavens will be merciful to you.’ 

Nurturing Mercy, Fairness, and Unity 

When you foster inclusive play at home, you are doing more than just keeping the peace. You are actively teaching your children to live by the Islamic values of mercy, fairness, and unity, creating bonds that will serve them in this life and bring reward in the next.