My DD's are constantly arguing!

[MissMunsterMogwi]

My girls are 10 and 7.6. Normally this is a pretty calm house bit the past few weeks have been awful. They constantly bicker, say really mean things to each other and actually fight on occasion. My eldest is a bit hormonal and I expect some moodiness but it's off the scale, and DD2 seems to whine all the time!

It's not that I expect them to link arms and sing 'sister's' all day, but it's got to the point where I'm so fed up and cross I'm a right old cow. Therefore life is a bit horrible chez Mogwi.

Just to add that all this is at home, when out they are lovely angels. They save the rage for me. Tell me I'm not alone!

You are not alone! Ds's 10 and 12, the testosterone clash at the moment! I could seriously lock them in cages!

Divide and rule! Separate them by allowing one to watch tv in one room and the other to read/draw/play in another room. If your dp/dh is around, try doing separate things on the weekend once in a while - one goes swimming, the other goes shopping for example.
I went through this when dd was in year 6 and ds was in year 3. He was old enough to stand up to dd and refuse to be her slave and she didn't like it! She was used to bossing him around and him doing everything she said.

Now she's in comp and they're not together so much, things are great!

Yeah I have been separating them at key times such as getting ready for school. There's just me at home so tricky to do separate things but as i said when we are out they are fine.

I'm so fed up with it I'm waiting for them to kick off which makes it worse IYSWIM. Plus I'm a bit tired and stressed, so probably my fault too.

I've had a serious word/rant this morning so you never know.

Same happens a few times a day in our house. DD1 is 9.6, DD1 almost 8.
DD1 can be moody and very cutting in her words/tone. DD2 can be a pest.
They play together very well, but then something will happen, and off they go, whinging, sniping, hurting feelings, tears, shouting, etc...

When they are at home, I just tell them they have to help me with jobs if they can't be nice to each other. Once I get annoyed enough, I make sure I separate them. I also consistently call DD1 on her words/tone, and keep reminding her that she needs to speak kindly (to DD2, DH & I - as she wouldn't dream of speaking like that to anybody else). DD1 can get stroppy when I say this to her, but usually calms down shortly afterwards.

The other place it happens is in the car, which really does my head in. I end up telling them that they are distracting me from driving carefully. If done calmly it often works (but I don't always do it calmly).

I think it will get worse before it gets better. I wasn't expecting the moodiness to click in for another few years. I was hoping preteens was the calm before the storm!

It's good to know I'm not the only one!

Although tonight they didn't start rowing and creating so my stress eyebrow has stopped twitching.

Oh MMM - you could be me. Have a DS & DD and they constantly argue/ bicker/ wind each other up. DS is quite measured tones laced with sarcasm and DD in loud shouty piercing whining.

It is driving me quite mad and making me sooo miserable. I am constantly on edge waiting for an argument to start and really depressed as I just want everyone to be happy. It all goes into a miserable downward sprial not helped by me and DH bickering too.

I feel like a complete failiure not being able to deal with it in a calm and rational way and it all bodes so badly for the future when they are teenagers.

Pls someone tell me I am catastrophising and it will all turn out ok.

DSs 9 and 12. It's like a festival of bickering. We are trying to implement zero tolerance-it's not easy.

DD's are 12 and 9.. always bickering with not a nice word to say about each other. However things have got better since older one started at Secondary school - no longer in each others shadow I think.
Due to lack of any apparent love between them I was amazed when younger dd was taken into hospital last week with appendicitis older dd was very upset and crying at school/texting me constantly to find out how her sister was!! It obviously takes occasions like that to see that underneath it all they do really care about each other! I will hold onto that one now during the day to day battling!!
oh.. almost forgot elder dd then spent most of her months pocket money on a teacup piggy (dreadful thing) as a pressie when her sister came out of hospital.. even going via Argos on the way home from school to buy! Unbelievable!

That's the thing isn't it remum? I am sure my 2 love each other dearly. They would be lost without each other really.