Q&A for How to Stop Fighting With Your Sibling

It is very normal for siblings to fight a lot. However, if the fights are getting physical or if your sibling regularly attacks you verbally, puts you down, or doesn’t respect your boundaries, then the fights are getting out of hand. If you’re a kid, talk to your parents or another trusted adult about what’s happening. If you’re an adult, you may need to avoid spending time with your sibling for a while until they’re willing to work on their behavior.

Siblings fight for many reasons. They might get on each other’s nerves because they’re cooped up together, or they might fight over possessions or their parents’ attention. When kids are younger, they might fight because they’re still learning how to share, resolve conflicts, or deal with differences of opinion.

First of all, take some time to cool down before you try to deal with it. You might feel like blowing up at her, but that’s not likely to do much good. Once you’ve calmed down, try calmly explaining to her how you feel. Say something like, “I feel really disrespected when you take my stuff without asking first. Can you check with me next time?” If the discussion turns into a fight, take a break and try again later. If she’s not willing to listen, talk to your parents about what’s going on.

If your siblings never listen to you, try telling them how it makes you feel. Say something like, "Hey Nick, I feel sad when you won't listen to me. I want to tell you about this cool thing at school!" If they keep making fun of you, say something like "I feel hurt when you keep making fun of my hairstyle. Please stop saying mean things." If they still don't listen and keep making fun of you, ask your Mom and Dad to help.

If your sister is pinching you, use an "I" statement to tell her how you feel. Say something like, "Hey sis, I feel upset and hurt when you pinch me. Can you please stop and be kind instead?" This will help your sister understand how you feel when she pinches you and encourage her to stop. If she keeps pinching you, ask your Mom or Dad for help.

If you are already fighting, there are many ways you can cool down the situation. Try taking a break from each other. Leave the room for 5 minutes and take a break to cool down. Then, after you aren't emotional, you can come back to the conversation. Also apologize as soon as you can.

Start by explaining to her that what she does or says upsets you. Try saying something like, "It makes me sad when you blame me all the time. Why do you have to blame me for everything?" or "It is frustrating when you won't stop hassling me. Please leave me alone!" You can also talk to your parents about the issues you have with your sister, so they understand your perspective. Try spending quality time together. Watch a movie or a TV show, for instance. Spending time together will help strengthen your relationship!

If your sister hurts you, get help from an adult. Tell your Mom or Dad right away so they can help. Say something like, "Mom, Katie keeps digging her nails into my skin. Can you ask her to stop?" You can also ask her to stop digging into your skin because it hurts you. Say something like, "Can you please stop digging into my skin? It hurts a lot!"