What's the right way to deal with this?

[Nabster]

DS1 and 2 were playing. I heard and saw DS1 being mean to DS2. DS1 said DS2 did it first. I only saw what DS1 did so he has gone to the step. DS2 won't admit to anything.

Should I have sent both, neither and how do you deal with it without DS1 feeling badly done too?

how old are they? I tend to leave them to it, especially if they both start blaming each other and let them sort it out between them. I only step in if one is actually hurt or it is all a lot more serious.

If one WAS hurt and they were both blaming each other I'd have sent both, but I'm mean!

They are 3 and 7 and they were physically hurting each other.

I would leave them to sort it out unless there were real genuine tears or actual blood. (I have the same age gap, by the way)

I am a "mean" mummy and cannot stand any physical fighting at all, ever. Personally, I always make a huge deal out of it and if they were both hurting each other would have gone ballistic at both of them. It does work, I have beaten mine into limiting their violent tendencies to name calling now . At least they don?t go hitting each other any more and I know they need to argue/discuss/disagree/confront each other somehow. Not sure there is a good solution really as words are not that much better!
Think it is a personal choice. I have zero tolerance on any pushing or shoving or worse but am a little more flexible and judge insults/arguing on a case by case scenario!

If they were both hurting each other, they both should be punished. If you have no evidence other than one says one thing, it is harder. I would probably have sent the older one on the naughty step and then insisted the other one does not a punishment for that but given a horrible job like tidying up toys.