Try These Methods If Siblings Quarrel Often

Even in the best of circumstances, a healthy relationship between siblings requires parental care and attention. In the worst cases, the tensions between the siblings take on even large proportions, so it is worth introducing different methods to prevent them. In this article, we’ll talk about a few ways to take advantage of if siblings often quarrel with each other.

Try these methods if siblings quarrel often

Common marble ball jar

Tensions between siblings often stem from parents ’attention to competing or the need to meet other needs. The marble ball jar can be utilized to get the siblings to work together towards a common goal.  Initially, a goal or goals are set for the children, such as sharing things, using kind words, respecting others, or offering help, followed by a prize, which can be, for example, pizzas, watching a movie chosen by the children, or a whole family trip to a place the children like.

Each time a child behaves well, a marble ball is added to the jar. Children should be encouraged to tell each other about earning marbles, but not about bad behavior, as it can feed a dispute between them. If the siblings start arguing with each other, instead of blaming them, they should be reminded of good behavior and that by behaving well they are closer to the reward they want. When the jar is full of marbles, everyone gets a prize. Although changing old habits takes some time, children tend to learn fairly quickly that they should behave kindly instead of arguing.

Timer to help

It is very common for children to want to play with the same toy at the same time. While this is a frustrating situation, it can teach children a lot. Parents should explain to the children that everyone is allowed to use all the toys, but that they must behave kindly and wait their turn. In order for each child to play with the toy equally, a timer can be used as an aid. Eventually, the siblings learn to take turns, but until then, it’s a good idea to use a timer to make sure each child gets to enjoy the toy in turn. For young children, visual timers, such as an hourglass, work best.

Internal dialogue

Parents often have to intervene in a quarrel between siblings to calm the situation. While this approach may end the quarrel momentarily, it does not solve the actual problem and teach children how to deal with problems and conflicts. Thus, the next conflict is likely to lead to another quarrel. Instructing children to deal with disagreements through internal dialogue, on the other hand, can be a much more useful method. A parent can suggest a solution to the situation, so to speak, by thinking out loud on behalf of the children.

For example, if a daughter wants to use her brother’s markers, a parent may say, “If you want to borrow your brother’s markers, you can ask her if you could get a yellow marker.” However, an adult should not speak directly on behalf of children. Also, a direct instruction like “If you want to borrow your brother’s marker, ask him” doesn’t work as it easily leads to a quarrel. Through internal dialogue, the child receives an idea, which allows him or her to make his or her own decision as to whether or not to act on the idea.

Daily physical activity

To avoid accumulating too much tension between siblings, it is important to ensure that children engage in a variety of physical activities each day. In addition to doing good for a child’s body, it helps relieve tension and improve mood.  Parents should use their imagination and come up with a variety of creative ways to let their children release their energy throughout the day.

Daily routines

Every parent has no doubt heard this advice until they are almost bored, but for a child’s day to go well, it is important to stick to routines and schedules. It is the responsibility of parents to ensure that the child regularly eats healthy and varied food, follows good sleeping routines and gets enough play. These routines support the health of the child, in addition to which they also play an important role in the mood – namely, anyone is in a bad mood tired and hungry.