Sibling Rivalry

My children are 21 months apart. Before my daughter was born, I worried about the impact it would have on my son. He was used to having all of the attention. I thought for sure he would take one look at the baby— and especially at me holding her— and firmly insist that my daughter leave the premises.

To my utter surprise, I saw the look of pure love on my son’s face from the very first introduction of my children.

For the most part, they have been a great team… That is, until recently. My son is now 3 and my daughter 21 months. Though to the untrained eye one might see grand signs of affection (big hugs and tons of kisses), my kids are often at each other’s throats. They are constantly fighting over toys, what DVDs they want to watch, what color crayon that want to draw with, you name it. My mom friends all tell me this is perfectly normal. Should I expect this behavior to worsen as my kids get older? Is it wise to intercede, or is it better to let my children work out their conflicts on their own?