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When siblings won't stop fighting
When you have more than one child, it’s easy to picture them skipping through life hand in hand, and maybe even becoming best friends.
Sometimes siblings can be wonderful friends and playmates.
But they also bicker and argue and tattle and tease. They even argue for entertainment!
If you feel like your kids are at each other all the time, that's because sometimes they really are. Research shows siblings can have 4 to 7 conflicts per day, even when the kids are in school most of the time.
Sibling squabbles are annoying for parents, but for children, they can be learning opportunities.
The hard part is knowing how to respond in the moment.
When do you step in?
When do you stay out of it?
When do you try to teach something?
If you intervene too quickly, you can actually steal your children's opportunity to learn important skills. But if you stay out of everything, you might miss moments when they genuinely need help, or when someone's getting hurt.
And seriously, the most thoughtful response isn't always possible when you have two minutes to get to soccer practice, and the baby has pooped up to his armpits, and the other kid can't find her shoes.
That's exactly what we dig into in my Helping Siblings Get Along workshop.
START WATCHING
Premium members – Get this workshop plus all my other workshops, live Q&As, and all bonuses. LEARN MORE about the only resource you need to help your child build relationship skills that last a lifetime.
Monthly/Annual members – You get a $20 coupon off each monthly featured webinar and help support the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast. JOIN HERE.
Not a member? Get the workshop individually HERE.
Warm wishes,
Dr. Eileen
P.S. In two weeks, I’m hosting a LIVE Q&A for Premium members, where you can bring your real-life “what do I do when…” questions. More soon!
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By Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhDWhen you have more than one child, it’s easy to picture them skipping through life hand in hand, and maybe even becoming best friends.
Sometimes siblings can be wonderful friends and playmates.
But they also bicker and argue and tattle and tease. They even argue for entertainment!
If you feel like your kids are at each other all the time, that's because sometimes they really are. Research shows siblings can have 4 to 7 conflicts per day, even when the kids are in school most of the time.
Sibling squabbles are annoying for parents, but for children, they can be learning opportunities.
The hard part is knowing how to respond in the moment.
When do you step in?
When do you stay out of it?
When do you try to teach something?
If you intervene too quickly, you can actually steal your children's opportunity to learn important skills. But if you stay out of everything, you might miss moments when they genuinely need help, or when someone's getting hurt.
And seriously, the most thoughtful response isn't always possible when you have two minutes to get to soccer practice, and the baby has pooped up to his armpits, and the other kid can't find her shoes.
That's exactly what we dig into in my Helping Siblings Get Along workshop.
START WATCHING
Premium members – Get this workshop plus all my other workshops, live Q&As, and all bonuses. LEARN MORE about the only resource you need to help your child build relationship skills that last a lifetime.
Monthly/Annual members – You get a $20 coupon off each monthly featured webinar and help support the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast. JOIN HERE.
Not a member? Get the workshop individually HERE.
Warm wishes,
Dr. Eileen
P.S. In two weeks, I’m hosting a LIVE Q&A for Premium members, where you can bring your real-life “what do I do when…” questions. More soon!