Managing Sibling Conflict

**We are honored to be nominated for “Best Local Podcast” in Inside Columbia magazine’s “Best of Columbia” contest! You can help us win by voting today and EVERY DAY through April 30th.  Here’s the link to cast your vote and thanks so much for your support!**

In this episode of our “Parenting in the Weeds” series, Austin Connor and Shay Roush tackle the universal challenge of sibling conflict. Whether you're dealing with daily squabbles between young kids, quiet resentment among teens, or lingering rivalries into adulthood, this episode offers practical insights and strategies to manage conflict effectively. 

Conflict amongst siblings is real and spans all ages: from fights over toys and screen time with young kids to resentment over perceived favoritism among teens or adults. The goal isn’t to eliminate conflict entirely but to manage it, acknowledging its presence and working toward healthier relationships.

Shay and Austin discuss the 3 main causes of sibling conflict, as well as 5 practical solutions to handle it including:

1. Connect with each child individually
2. Delight, celebrate, and laugh together as a family
3. Avoid comparing your children
4. Set patterns of reconciliation, apologizing, and forgiveness
5. Be proactive about end-of-life matters and money

The biggest takeaway from this episode is that “Your children may be competitive and compete with each other, but they should never have to compete for your love.”  

If you want to remember what you learned in this episode, and didn’t have time to take notes while listening, subscribe to our newsletter at withyouintheweeds.com to receive our weekly episode summary and to find our library of resources on all the topics we cover.

Your reviews and ratings help us reach more people so please leave a review and a 5-star rating!

If this conversation resonates with you, share it with a friend and join the WYITW community on IG & FB @withyouintheweeds.com.