Anonymous wrote:I have a DD 5, DS 4 and DD 1. They are sweet and good kids generally, and do love each other very much. The petty squabbling is killing me though. I'm an only child and just have a low tolerance for this/don't know how to handle it. It's not big fights- they're rarely physical with each other and don't say mean things. It's just dumb bickering all day long. Any tips? When does it get better?

I mean mine are 21 and 19 and it still happens

My brother and I stopped fighting a lot when he was 16 and I was 13. We are very close. We also have two older siblings (we’re all 3 years apart) - I never really fought with either of them growing up, but my brother being more of a middle child did. I feel like a lot of the fighting stopped by the time the older sibling was 16/17 or so. My two brothers in particular (3 year age gap) fought a lot.

I’ve got three. I read somewhere that siblings fight up to 8 times PER HOUR, so like once every 7 minutes. One time when my kids were squabbling about something in the car I told them that factoid, and they managed to track it almost exactly. Removing one kid from the equation makes the fights totally stop, so DH and I routinely peel off one kid - mix it up - and things are more peaceful for everyone.

I’m one of three and we never squabble anymore - we’re great friends as adults.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol this thread is an amazing advertisement for only having one child. Universal agreement that it never ends.

I'm OP and an only. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I will still take the squabbling over the loneliness I grew up with.

I'm one of four and grew up with squabbling but also some deeper divisions -- I was very lonely as a child and am not close to my siblings as an adult. And some only children are very happy to be onlies.

There's no magic right number of children for everyone.

Right. Which is why PP probably shouldn't have come in this thread gloating about having an only.

I'm the PP who made the comment everyone is upset about and I have two who fight all the time -- I was making a joke folks

Sheesh you sound just like my sister always taking everything so personally

People who react to criticism with "why are you taking everything so personally" are truly the worst kind of toxic aholes. I'm just joking! You must be a joy irl.

It's in waves. Whenever one is in some sort of transition time, it peaks. Terrible twos, adolescence, home from college, engaged, etc.

I bickered a lot with my sister growing up (21 months apart), but things improved when I left for college. Much closer as adults.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol this thread is an amazing advertisement for only having one child. Universal agreement that it never ends.

I'm OP and an only. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I will still take the squabbling over the loneliness I grew up with.

I'm one of four and grew up with squabbling but also some deeper divisions -- I was very lonely as a child and am not close to my siblings as an adult. And some only children are very happy to be onlies.

There's no magic right number of children for everyone.

Right. Which is why PP probably shouldn't have come in this thread gloating about having an only.

I'm the PP who made the comment everyone is upset about and I have two who fight all the time -- I was making a joke folks

Sheesh you sound just like my sister always taking everything so personally

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol this thread is an amazing advertisement for only having one child. Universal agreement that it never ends.

I'm OP and an only. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I will still take the squabbling over the loneliness I grew up with.

I'm one of four and grew up with squabbling but also some deeper divisions -- I was very lonely as a child and am not close to my siblings as an adult. And some only children are very happy to be onlies.

There's no magic right number of children for everyone.

Right. Which is why PP probably shouldn't have come in this thread gloating about having an only.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol this thread is an amazing advertisement for only having one child. Universal agreement that it never ends.

I'm OP and an only. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I will still take the squabbling over the loneliness I grew up with.

I'm one of four and grew up with squabbling but also some deeper divisions -- I was very lonely as a child and am not close to my siblings as an adult. And some only children are very happy to be onlies.

There's no magic right number of children for everyone.

It will either get much better when they are teens, or much worse. For my sister and me, our petty squabbling turned into an all-out war when we were 14 and 12, which lasted well into our 20s. My kids are 16 and 13, and although they still get on each other's nerves at times, or bicker a little, it is far less than it was a few years ago. They generally get along really well.

Anonymous wrote:Lol this thread is an amazing advertisement for only having one child. Universal agreement that it never ends.

I'm OP and an only. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I will still take the squabbling over the loneliness I grew up with.

Anonymous wrote:I have a DD 5, DS 4 and DD 1. They are sweet and good kids generally, and do love each other very much. The petty squabbling is killing me though. I'm an only child and just have a low tolerance for this/don't know how to handle it. It's not big fights- they're rarely physical with each other and don't say mean things. It's just dumb bickering all day long. Any tips? When does it get better?

With my brother when one of us dies and we're in our 50's.