How to stop siblings from arguing

"NOOOOO, that's mine!" is a familiar sentence in our house right now, and the fad has lasted for around two years now. Siblings will, inevitably, argue. They will hit, and scratch, and insult each other over seemingly meaningless things. And although they usually really love each other anyway, you may just want it to stop. How can you stop siblings from arguing?

My kids are five and three. They adore each other and show it they stand up for each other when one of them is in trouble with a parent, they hug each other and pour each other drinks... In many ways, the bond they have amazes me. Yet, they also hit each other, complain the other has the toy they wanted to play with or the glass the other wants to drink out of, and so on and so forth. Their love may be never-ending, but so are their arguments.

There are ways to handle sibling arguments, of course. On a basic level, making sure that both children are well-rested, fed, and have had enough physical exercise that day, will make them happy and less prone to get upset when their sibling does something they don't like. Having special one-one-one time with mom or dad also helps to recharge their batteries, by giving them a break from each other and making sure they know how special they are. If those preemptive strikes fail, there's always time-outs, taking away the object they are arguing over (so they're upset with the parent and not each other), or sitting them both down to talk about it.

At the end of the day, siblings will argue. When they are really small, those fights may produce a lot of noise and tears. But they are also easily distracted, and will be happy again very quickly. As kids get older, the fights will still occur, though they will be less physical. Those arguments may also last longer and be more hurtful. Arguments never go away, even into adulthood. As parents, the best we can do is to try and forge strong bonds between siblings, rather than fighting against the fighting.