Family · Parenting
Sibling Conflict Worksheet
House rules and a repair protocol, not a referee
Sibling conflict is normal, developmental, and one of the most important places kids practice negotiation. The parent's job isn't referee — it's structure and coaching. This sheet installs the frame.
The pattern in our house
Who tends to be the aggressor / target / instigator / peacemaker
What time of day / week it flares
House rules everyone knows
- No hitting, name-calling, or breaking each other's stuff
- You don't have to like each other today — you do have to be safe
- If it turns physical, both take space, not just the 'attacker'
- Tattling for safety = welcome. Tattling for revenge = not the move.
- Adults don't take sides on who started it — we address behavior in the room
The repair protocol (post-fight, both regulated)
1. Each names their feeling and what they wanted.
2. Each names one thing they did that made it worse.
3. One repair action, no forced apology.
Recent fight
What each wanted
Repair
Comparison is the fuel
Sibling rivalry burns hottest when kids are compared. 'You're the smart one / the athlete / the easy one' plants seeds that grow for decades.