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Siblings fight is stressful when it is not handled well. Intense fight might cause someone to get hurt. Whether minor or major fights, as parents, it is always important to manage children’s behavior to calm the arising chaos. Here are some tips on how you can deal with sibling rivalry in your family. These tips can guide you towards the best way to resolve your children’s conflicts.
Ways in Handling Siblings Fight
- Cut the fight
When your kids are starting to shout nasty words with one another, cut the fight before they physically hurt each other.
Here are the ways on how to cut a fight:
- Separate your children when they’re trying to hurt each other physically. Tame their temper before settling their problems.
- As parents, compose yourself before meddling to your children’s fight. It is ideal to say positive words amidst the chaotic atmosphere. Your children will hate what you’ll say at first but be consistent with what you want to imply to them. Positive words can help them calm.
- Avoid negative words and treatment
You may be irritated by your children’s siblings fight but always remember that you are their parents. Whatever you say to them matters. On a more personal note, do not compare them to each other. Avoid uttering statements like “ you’re older so you should have known better” or “you’ve done nothing but trouble to your siblings”. This can make kids feel more hurtful. Comparison might result to competition among your children. Plus, do not focus on blaming a child. A fight occurs because of two or more persons, anyone who is involved is responsible.
In terms of treatment, treat your children fairly. It might not be possible to give them similar treatment because of their age gap. But never take a side when there’s a sibling rivalry. Even more, parents can contribute to siblings fight. By giving negative words and treatment during fights, may worsen the situation and worst, your children will distant to you which results in a bad relationship.
- Reinforce remorse
Once your children cool down, there should be remorse. But before that, it is important to talk about what happened and identify the cause of the fight. Allow them to express their feelings about what happened and ask them what they should do next. What’s the purpose of mediating the fight with the involvers?
- First, children can practice how to communicate with their family members. Children, themselves, can assess their behaviors as you talk about the problem and solve it after. In the future, once they encounter a problem, they can handle it on their own.
- Children can create ideas on how to solve their own problems. If you think their ideas are irrational and might affect their relationship, that’s the time you need to stand as their parents. It is important to explain why you come up with that solution. After, ask them if they are okay with it. Some problems can’t be solved immediately. Take time until you can come up with the right solution to the problem.
Reinforcing remorse is very essential when the kids are growing. This will develop children’s humility and enables them to learn what’s right from wrong.
Making a Fight-Free Environment in the Family
Siblings fight is often common to the family. But when it is mishandled, rivalry may get worst that can affect the relationships within the family. To handle fights, parents should cut the fight, avoid negative words and treatment, and reinforce remorse. To remember it easier, just remember the word “CAR”.
All the more, it is ideal to create a fight-free environment in the family through setting ground rules to control their behavior, regulate the TV time and playtime schedules, and spend time with your children often to understand them better. Making a fight-free environment radiates positivity within the family.
