Since 2004, Eloah Rocha has served as a counselor at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital. There, Eloah Rocha leads an activities program for the siblings of children who are seriously ill.

1. Eloah Rocha
Empathy as a Remedy for Sibling
Rivalry

2. Introduction
 Since 2004, Eloah Rocha has served as a counselor at the
Los Angeles Children's Hospital. There, Eloah Rocha leads
an activities program for the siblings of children who are
seriously ill.
Like all other unwanted behaviors in children, sibling rivalry
stems from an unmet need or a hurt feeling. Children often
become angry or resentful of their siblings if they feel as
though the other child is receiving more attention or special
treatment. This often becomes a particularly salient issue if
the sibling does need more from the parent, either
because he is very young, has special needs, or is
extremely ill.
In these situations, a strong connection between parent
and child is essential for mitigating symptoms of sibling
rivalry. Children need to feel that their parents' love is
unconditional and insurmountable, and parents can show
this through even the simplest of one-on-one connections

3. Sibling Rivalry
 A morning greeting or a warm hug, at random moments
throughout the day, can help a child to feel that he or she
has a strong connection with a loving parent.
Parents and other adults must also take care to validate
children's feelings of jealousy. Children often feel guilty
about such feelings and can try to suppress them, which
leads to anxiety and can manifest in uncontrolled
expression of those unwanted feelings. Frustrated and
worn out by keeping their feelings inside, a child may act
out against the sibling or defy the parents.
Parents can help to avoid this process by empathizing and
acknowledging how badly the child feels, so that the child
knows that all feelings are okay even if some reactions to
feelings are not. This also strengthens connection to the
parent and lets the child know that the parent is a resource
for comfort, no matter what else is going on in the family.