Arguing is not only unpreventable, but beneficial.
As a parent it is hard not to jump in every time we hear bickering, from our perspective we see an easy fix, but that is because we have had years to practice dealing with our peers.
Children need to learn the vital social skill of conflict resolution and making compromises. To obtain this they need real life experience.
The Guardian reported on a research study by the University of Cambridge’s Center for Family Research, which looked at sibling relationships, and found:
“The more the children upset each other, the more they learn about regulating their emotions and how they can affect the emotions of others.”
When you hear your children begin to argue, take a minute just to listen. The more you do, you will find that the arguing shortens and they become better equipped to handle conflict.
If the argument requires you to step in then give your kids a moment to cool off and process the conflict before making them make-up.