How to Stop Siblings Fighting

Kids argue and have to learn to share. They are forced into this situation when you have multiple kids in one household. Siblings argue and probably won’t share. You’re at your wits end with it. Here are my tips on how to stop siblings fighting.

Are you a sibling? Did you used to (or maybe still do) fight with your siblings? What were your parents tricks on how to stop siblings fighting?

Usually it takes a few different methods to get siblings to stop fighting depending on the situation. Whether they are fighting over a certain toy or they are suffering from a bit of jealousy issues.

My kids are only 2.5 years apart so they are usually fighting over a toy or my undivided attention, but usually its over a toy.

If your kids are the same way, here are my ways on how to stop siblings fighting:

Split Up Items

Take the items they are fighting over and set a timer. Each kid gets the toy for an allotted amount of time and then they switch no-matter-what.

Explain that detail to them and explain that sibling 1 will get their turn, then sibling 2 or vis-versa. Set a timer so everyone in the house can hear whether that’s on a home Echo Dot Alexa system or on your phone. When it goes off, time to swap.

Take Away the Item

Old school way is to just take the toy away.

That doesn’t really teach the point of sharing but if you are your wits end with the arguing and fighting, this may teach them that if they keep fighting the toy goes bye-bye and they may figure out between themselves how to solve that issue.

This obviously depends on the kids’ age.

Time Out for the Toy Stealer

If you kids have trouble grabbing toys or items out of the others’ hand, then grab it right back mama. Get down to their level and take it right back put the toy stealer on time out.

Granted you are sort of fighting fire with fire, but it will teach them they didn’t like how it felt to have the toy just taken abruptly from them and that’s how their sibling probably feels too.

It’s all in the explanation after mama. You cannot just take it and not explain feelings and why toy grabbing/stealing is wrong.

Take Back the Toy and Give to Sibling

This goes hand-in-hand with the suggestion above. That toy you just stole back from the grabber sibling, give it back to the other one right in front of the stealer. This will show them that just because you take it, does not mean you get to keep it.

Special Rewards

Give praise or even a reward to the child who is not stealing and who is behaving. This shows all the other siblings to behave and they will get a reward too!

Create Share Chart

This goes along with the above suggestion. Create a chart (or download this one for FREE or here is another option) and have each get get a sticker or mark when they share.

The more marks/stickers they get at the end of the day/week, then they get a special toy or treat.

Separate the Kids

If all else fails have kids go to their rooms or separate corners with certain toys and they play by themselves if they cannot share or get along.

Separate them and usually after awhile they will get bored or even miss playing with the sibling and want to play nicely.

If not, at least you will get a few minutes of peace mama!

Get Two of Everything

This suggestion is more of just a funny one because you cannot get two of everything, but there are some things that are not even worth the battle.

There have been plenty of smaller toys/items that I have just decided to get two of to eliminate the fights and need to share because sometimes its just about survival mama!