How do you stop the fighting between or among siblings? Constant bickering and yelling can take its toll on the entire household making the environment more stressful. Parents are eager to put an end to the disagreements as soon as possible and the following strategies can help to relieve the problems:
*Don’t Play Favorites: Never show or tell one child that he or she is the favorite. This can cause lifelong resentment between siblings and compromise a parents’ relationship with their children. Parents should do their best to share equal time with all children and avoid favoring any one child.
*Don’t Take Sides: Try not to get involved in disagreements. If possible, remain neutral, only intervening if there is a chance of danger or physical fighting. If a parent comes to the rescue of a particular child they may make it seem to the other sibling that one child is protected and the other is not. This action could exacerbate the rivalry problem if one exists or create one if it doesn’t.
*Don’t Play The Blame Game: Siblings are their own instigators and it takes more than one person to start an argument or begin a fight. Figure out what consistently causes the problem and try to avoid those situations.
*Resolve Issues With The Children: When parents step in they should act as a coach, helping the children find their own solutions. Otherwise, children could always look to their parents as referees. Help your children develop the skills necessary to be able to work through difficulties on their own.
Presented by North Shore Today, May 2nd, 2012
