Fighting among siblings or playmates is a natural part of being a child. If you think that it is not right for a child to sometimes pick a fight with one of his siblings or playmates, then you are quite wrong. Fights are part and parcel of being a child, and it is a sign that your child is growing up naturally. Of course, we do not feel good when we see our children fighting and want to prevent fighting as much as possible. Here are some tips on how to prevent or nip a fight in the bud.
If the fight is already going on and you see that it is not really that deep a fight, you can choose to ignore it. There are times when kids use fighting to get your attention. Fights like this will die down naturally when ignored. Of course, you need to know how to see if a fight is bad or just light enough to be ignored safely.
Never be partial and never take sides when you try to break a kiddie fight. As much as possible, do not attempt to get into who started the fight and who is wrong. Some kids are quite creative and may become manipulative and in future fights know how to get what they want.
When your kids are not fighting, make sure that you let them know that you are happy that they are behaving well. You must give your attention to them every time they behave nicely, not only when they are behaving badly and fighting.
When you and your spouse quarrel, do your best not to show it to your children. And when it cannot be avoided that they see, be sure that they also see how good you are at handling the quarrel and at patching up. Your children will learn from the examples you show them.
Show your children how important cooperation is in the family. Do things together, make little projects together with the whole family. Your children will learn that with cooperation almost anything can be achieved. When they understand the beauty of cooperation, fighting would be lessened.
Show your kids how to love each other by loving them. The best way to teach love is by loving.