Many kids are lucky enough to become the best of friends with their siblings but sometimes, it's common for brothers and sisters to fight. It is also common for them to swing back and forth between adoring and detesting one other.
According to Positive Parenting Solutions, it can be frustrating and upsetting to watch and hear kids fight with one another. A household that's full of conflict is stressful for everyone. Yet often it's hard to know how to stop the fighting or even you should get involved at all.
What parents can do is to take steps in promoting peace in their household and help your kids get along. Here are some effortless ways to prevent siblings from fighting.
Parents must never compare their kids to each other or to any other child. They must give lots of individual attention. Kids who feel loved and accepted for who they are will be less likely to fight. Parents must intervene to keep kids occupied before they get bored and start fighting.
Another way is to teach kids basic negotiation and problem-solving skills guided by the concept of win/win — taking turns, dividing a treat, trading and sweetening the deal. Then enforce standards of respect at home.
Set up an expectation that if anyone forgets themselves and calls a name or is disrespectful, they need to "Repair" the damage they've done to that relationship. This doesn't mean your kids can't disagree. It means that there is always a way to stay respectful, even if they're angry.
Parents must create an atmosphere of appreciation in every household and remember that the people they are dealing with are still kids. Just because a kid punches her brother doesn't mean she'll be an axe-murderer. It's important not to permit bad behavior toward others but that doesn't mean you don't offer understanding and the confidence that your child will learn.
All kids get mad at their siblings sometimes. It will be easier, as parents get older, to remember how to control yourself when they get mad, so they can work things out.
Meanwhile, sibling rivalry starts even before the second child is born and continues as the kids grow and compete for everything from toys to attention. As kids reach different stages of development, their evolving needs can significantly affect how they relate to one another, Empowering Parents said.
