When Siblings Won ’ t Stop Fighting
By Katherine Martinelli , Child Mind Institute
Anyone with more than one child knows that even siblings who are the best of friends can still get on each other ’ s nerves . And it ’ s certainly understandable — they ’ re forced to live under the same roof and spend much of their free time together . Inevitably , they are competing for limited attention and resources . Who wouldn ’ t get irritated in that situation , at least occasionally ?
But what ’ s a parent to do when things escalate and it seems like the kids are fighting constantly ? It can make the home feel like a battlefield and the adults more like peace negotiators than parents . Fortunately , Stephanie Lee , PsyD , a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute , says there is a bright side . While sibling squabbles can certainly be stressful , “ having siblings gives kids good practice for social skills that they need in the
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