When Your Kids Are Fighting
Sibling rivalry. It can be the bane of attachment parenting. Just when you think you have this gentle parenting thing down with one kid here comes another and the dynamic is completely changed. Suddenly they are fussing with each other, picking on each other, and doing all the things you were certain your kids would never do.
Trust me, I’ve been there. Been there? Try still there daily.
There are some things that you can do to ease the fighting and feuding of sibling rivalry. Set guidelines of what actions are acceptable and what ones are not. Give them room to express themselves in a space where they are not hurting the other. And be sure to let each one know that you love them individually, that they do not have to fight to compete for parental love or attention. Of course how you put those ideas to work in your day to day life will be up to you.
If you have a preschooler who is struggling with a sibling I have an article here on Preschoolers and Sibling Rivalry. In it I talk about a book that is a must read for families dealing with sibling rivalry no matter what age their kids are, Siblings Without Rivalry. I cannot say enough about how much this book has helped with me understand and deal with the fighting. Being an only child sibling rivalry completely threw me off, but the suggestions have worked beautifully for calming things down.
What are some of the tricks you use to deal with your kids fighting? Do you have any magic bullet that works to defuse the tension and relax everyone? If so do share! Good tips and advice are always welcome.
fighting, sibling rivalry, parenting



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