Love my kids separately... HATE them together!

[Gameboy]

Well... almost...
2 boys, nearly 6 and 3...
They actually seem to adore each other, but when they're together the resulting constant fireball of noise, boisterous, shouting and arguing just drives me round the bend.

Older one IS mean too... sneaky stuff like name-calling, or taking apart toys etc, when he thinks I can't see...

I start every day with good intentions, but end up hollering life a fishwife within half an hour...

It really is stressing me out, I feel like I want to keep them apart to make my life easier...

Tips, tricks and reassurance... please....

Siblings Without Rivalry book, might help you find your sanity.

ps, sorry for being too terse, that's the name of the book! Siblings Without Rivalry. Dumb name (because there never really can be such a thing), but good book.

thanks - I'll have a look on Amazon..

Is it just me, or does anyone else get this?

pretty jolly common, I think. My 2 are boy and a girl, and they adore each other really, but they can also be horrid to each other.

yes my ds and dd fight from the minute they get out of bed they are 6+nearly 8.The first fight is whos turn to choose tv,then whos turn to open front door to my mindee(im a childminder),then its who is helping mindee to put shoes on etc etc.I have recently made some star charts to make them be nice to each other this is kind of working!!.

I was thinking about this thread yesterday when actually, my 2 were playing quite nicely together. I don't know if I can take any credit for it, but I think I'm doing the right things when...

I tell them to talk to each other to sort out their differences (don't always ask me to).

I praise them to the high heavens whenever they do anything nice for each other (get a drink of water, share a lolly, whatever)

If I am sorting out an argument, I try to find something to tell each of them in terms of how to play more nicely together. So it's not just one child's "fault" that they have had a bust-up (even though quite often it is one child's fault more than the other!!).

maybe that's food for thought.

If my kids do something I want them to do they get a big swingaround, which makes me dizzy but seems to work. I am definitely going to get a sticker chart though as both of them are proud when they get a sticker at school or nursery.