Sibling squabbles can be so frustrating!
“Mom, tell her to quit looking at me!”
“Mom, he hit me. I didn’t do anything to him!”
“I had the toy, and she came and took it from me. I had it first!”
Mom, make him stop!”
Does any of this sound familiar? If God has blessed you with more than one child, more than likely you have heard those words, or similar ones, over and over again.
Kids argue, and are mean to each other. Often they irritate each other, and enjoy aggravating each other. Our homes sometimes seem more like a battlefield. As a busy mom, it’s easy to get frustrated, and wonder why in the world they can’t just treat each other right, and get along with each other!
I have had people tell me that this is ordinary behavior, and perfectly normal for kids. The truth is that it’s a natural thing because of their sin nature, but it isn’t something we should allow.
It’s something that we need to stay on top of, and deal with EVERY time. It is our job as parents to train and teach them to control their selfish nature. Rather than putting themselves first, we need to teach our kids the Bible principle of putting others before self.
The Bible tells us that the 2nd greatest command is to love our neighbor as our self. Loving others doesn’t come naturally, but God says it’s VERY important! (Check out I John 4:20, 21)
Addressing sibling conflict isn’t easy, but the work you do now will not only make family life more peaceful, it will help your children develop adult skills that will assist them for the rest of their lives.” -Say Goodbye to Whining
As the mom of 8 kids, I’ve dealt with my fair share of sibling squabbles over the past 30 years! From personal experience, I put together a new ebook: SIBLING SQUABBLES.
The book is full of ideas and practical tips to help parents deal with the fighting and quarreling in the home. Included are ways to use Bible principles to teach peacemaking, tips for encouraging sibling friendship, and ways to help kids deal with a “prickly” sibling. (Those of you who have a difficult child will know what I mean when I say that!)
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