Kids Fighting!!!

by Krystal K
(Charlotte, NC)

My children's fighting drives me crazy. No matter what I do; whether I punish, threaten, beg, cajole; they will not stop fighting.

Sometimes they even get somewhat violent. My son is 4 and he'll just walk by and whip his sister as he passes. Well, she's not going to stand for that, and so she'll get up, chase him, and hit him back.

She has actually pushed him down and he has cut his face on a toy or a basket in the floor. And honestly, he has thrown toy cars at her, hit her in the head, and cut bloody gash in her scalp.

Lots of screaming and crying in those cases, of course. I have gotten to the point where if they fight during dinner, persisting after I have given them fair warning, they are sent straight to bed after dinner.

I hate to admit it, but I'm so happy when they get sent to bed early, because I have some peace and quiet after a long day of noise.

The few times I get to see them playing with one another, getting along, and loving each other are so magical. I know that they do care about one another a lot underneath all of the screaming, but in the meantime, sometimes I feel like a terrible mom!

How could I be raising such mean and callous kids? The thing I cling to most of all is the fact that I used to fight with my brother huge knock-down, drag-outs and today we do love one another. I can only hope that the same thing will happen with my kids!