Personality – one child may be easygoing, while one may be more set in his/her ways.Oftentimes, when children are close in age, sibling rivalry is more exaggerated in the younger years.)

Birth Order (the older child might feel as if they should be in charge of picking the game, toy, etc… or the younger child may feel that they should pick because they are younger.

Give each child about 20 minutes, each day, of one-on-one time.

Looking for attention from you – One child may feel that they are getting less attention from you, but you can take care of this rather quickly and easily.

Boredom – are your kids staying busy? Doing age-appropriate chores? Playing outside? Spending time in screen-free play? Bored kids are often tired, frustrated, and looking for ways to stay busy (even if it means arguing.).

One of them will surely work for you if you are consistent. Today I will share ten ideas that have been proven to work. When you are armed with knowledge and a strategy, you can solve just about any problem, including fighting kids. Every family that I worked with asked for advice about sibling rivalry at one point or another, so if you are feeling alone or unsure of what to do now, don’t worry. As a child development therapist, former teacher, and mom of four children, I’ve dealt with my fair share of sibling rivalry over the past 17+ years.

Update: This was first published years ago, but I think that a close sibling relationship is so important, so I’m resharing it today. While some siblings get along well and others not as well, the truth is that sibling rivalry is probably going to happen at one point or another. However, almost any parent would agree that when there is laughter and playing, no matter how nicely they may be playing at the moment, the chances are that the arguments or tears aren’t far behind. It’s great when you hear laughter from the other room as the kids play. Fortunately, there are solutions to help your kids stop fighting and start getting along and becoming friends - it’s a win-win. The sound of kids fighting or arguing is one that has concerned parents forever. Sibling Rivalry is the competition, fighting, animosity, or jealousy between siblings.

Siblings without rivalry book