Sibling bickering isn’t fun for anyone – not for the kids and definitely not for Mum. Maxabella shares how can you end sibling frustration … and all it takes is a jar and some sticks!
My children’s bickering was like a not-very-musical accompaniment to daily life – all day, everyday, nah, nah, nah. “It’s my shirt, no it’s mine, I got it for Christmas, no you didn’t, it’s mine, it’s mine, Muuuuuuum it’s my shirt, Muuuuuuum …”
“It’s my turn to choose the show, it’s mine, you chose the show yesterday, she did it the day before it’s my turn, it’s mine, Muuuuuuuuum it’s my turn, Muuuuuuuuum …”
“You’re looking at me, no I’m not, yes you are stop looking at me, I’m not looking at you, yes you are stop doing it, I’m not looking at you, Muuuuuuuuuum he’s looking at me, Muuuuuuuum …”
Sound familiar? To be honest, I rarely used to even let them get to the “Muuuuuuuum” part because just the sound of the three of them arguing over the most petty, mundane things would gnaw away at my brain until I would shout, “Stop bickering! STOP IT!”
And before you knew it, I’d be in there bickering away with them about whether or not they were bickering in the first place. Sigh. Being the parent is hard, isn’t it? That’s why I want to introduce you to the get-along jar. It has changed the way my kids behave towards each other and I hope it can work its magic at your place, too. The get-along jar is basically just a jar of craft sticks that list ideas for things siblings can do together instead of fight and argue. So every time you catch them launching into a bickering fest, instead of playing referee, hand them the jar and ask them to select a stick.
