Aargh, are all dss siblings a nightmare!

[Stepmumm]

I've taken on 2 dss together with my ds. The dss are constantly bickering and fighting and winding each other up, is that just normal sibling behaviour! Life was so much more peaceful with my ds!

Sounds pretty normal to me.

It is normal to some extent but I do think the way some children are parented makes it worse than desirable. Ok if squabbling, but kicking the hell out of each other or leaving marks should definitely not be tolerated IMO. Also if one is a lot older than the older constant bullying shouldnt be tolerated either.

They squabble, then hit each other. There's 5 years between and both are as bad ad each other. My ds is perplexed by their behaviour.

They're siblings. I would put money on your DS not being perfectly behaved at all times.
And you haven't 'taken them on'. That's a ridiculous phrase.

Your DS is "perplexed" because he has no one to bicker with.

Somebody save me - by 'i have taken them on', I mean 'taken them on as my own'

Are they with you full time? Are you treating them the same as your DS?

Yes, and if anything I'm probably more lenient with them than my ds. Just needed a bit of a rant, they're good kids most of the time!

Is it a new family set up? Or just a result of the school holidays? My DCs and DSD have been monsters for 6 weeks!

Normal bebhaviour. But a bit of a shock if you and DS are used to him being an only. Not just boys either. My DD fights her older brother and now fights DSS too. They do need eventually to find other ways to sort out their differences but you're probably looking years off before this will happen...

I think it is normal sibling behaviour tbh but I can see it would be hard if you're not used to it.
My DSS can't handle it when my boys squabble - he gets all upset. Its because he only has sisters and isn't used to brothers but just lately he has started joining in a bit, which on one hand is good, because he feels included, but on the other hand it worries me that they will upset him and he will use it against us and tell his Mum (he is a bit like that!)
I think it is always worse at the end of the school holidays - too much energy and not enough to do with it!!