Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and make my kids young again, the age when they don’t bicker at the slightest provocation. There are times I wish I could just disappear in the middle of arguing kids. They get into my nerves. But who else will be there to pacify them. If their constant bickering can make me lose weight, then I will no longer need the best diet pills because the mere act of pacifying them will serve as my natural weight loss remedy.

I found this three-R solution to sibling bickering by child psychologist Anthony Wolf, Ph.D.:

Rule 1: Don’t take sides. When a parent intervenes on a side – “John don’t hit your sister,” instead of “Stop that, you two,” Wolf says, the argument turns into a competition for a parent’s attention and allegiance. Instead, make sure that you address both children.

Rule 2: Act fast (or not at all). If you want something to stop, tell your children when you first get annoyed, instead of waiting until you explode at them.

Rule 3: Don’t listen. When bickering children come looking for you, offer love and support, but don’t allow them to use you as a judge to whom they can deliver their opening arguments. Give them a hug, but don’t do more than recognize how difficult a situation must be for them when they launch into their case, and, if necessary, remind them that they can and must find a way to solve it themselves.

image taken from the Internet