Sibling Strategies: A Parent’s Guide to Handling Conflict

Sibling rivalry is a completely normal part of family life. We’ll never get rid of it completely, but we can help our kids navigate it so it doesn’t overshadow our days.

I've dealt with my fair share of sibling struggles over the years - I've written about some of them here. With home ed, our kids are together a lot more, so it's even more important for everyone's sanity and wellbeing that it doesn't take over our home or our moods.

Here I'll share simple tools that have worked well for us to keep the rivalry a much smaller part of our home life. They're not overnight fixes, they take practice. But they can quickly shift the energy from high-stress to calm surprisingly quickly.

You First: The Parent’s Role

Let's be honest: we have a huge part to play. Some kids naturally rub each other up the wrong way, but our reaction can either escalate or de-escalate things. When I’m stressed or irritated, it always makes things worse.

Taking a deep breath before I enter the room, or waiting until I'm calmer (unless it's getting physical), makes a big difference. These strategies are for the moments when I can find that patience.