5 Ways to Nip Sibling Bickering in the Bud

by Brenna Stull | 10:35 AM in |

I hate to say it, but my children inspired this posting this morning before they left for school. 

Do you have problems with your children bickering or treating eachother unkindly?  What mom doesn't?

Are you ready to give up nagging your kids to get along? See immediate results with these tactics from a mom whose been there.

5 ways to nip sibling bickering in the bud:

Let them know...

1....they are volunteering to do the other child's chore for the day if they say another unkind word.
2....they are volunteering to kiss the other child's feet (if chore is already done) if they say another unkind word.
3....they will list three character qualities they admire about their sibling since they've said unkind words.
4.....they will hold hands and skip back and forth across the front lawn five times together if they can't work things out within one minute (remember to set the timer).
5....they will kiss on the lips if they can't work things out within one minute (you probably won't need the timer if you pull this one out!)

Sometimes bad times calls for drastic measures...and for eight and ten-year-old boys, kissing eachother on the lips is about as drastic as it gets.


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2 comments:

  1. Kim on February 11, 2009 at 1:26 PM

    love it! i'm wondering though how to tweak this for a 2 year old. skip #1 since he doesn't have chores yet? and i'm not sure if he can list things he likes about his sister yet...i'll have to think about it....

     
  2. Brenna Stull on February 11, 2009 at 2:01 PM

    Yes, these tactics probably work best for ages 5 and up, I'd say. I guess a 2-year-old could lose some desired privilege, such as put away his favorite blanket or toy for 15 minutes.

    My experience is that usually the one at fault for unkind comments is the older one...the JUST older one, to be exact, in a lineup of siblings. It's an interesting phenomena -- when someone is having a bad day, why do they always take it out on the sibling just younger than them?