Encourage children to forgive each other
No matter how much we try to avoid it, conflicts are a part of life. Dealing and resolving conflicts is of the several social skills that children need to learn maintain healthy relationships. Helping children manage conflict will also help them enjoy better friendships and social experiences, not just in school but in other settings as well. Your child’s ability to handle conflicts depends on their age and stage of development. That’s the role of the parent: to guide children and teach them effective conflict resolution. Read on and learn some helpful tips for conflict resolution for kids.
Let them calm down
Like adults, children should be given the chance to calm down and take a breather from each other. Let them take a walk or do anything that will help their emotions subside. You may also suggest that they write down their feelings or count from 1 to 100. Allow them to figure out the best way to calm down before trying to resolve the problem because forcing a discussion between upset children might only make things worse. Effective conflict resolution for kids depends on them being calm.
Talk and listen
Once calm, you may talk to them together or separately, depending on how comfortable they are when it comes to talking through the problem. If you don’t talk to them together, be sure to talk and listen to each one of them. Emphasize the value of using kind and right words in trying to resolve a conflict. Help them express how they feel in a nice way. Focus on the cause of the problem instead of attributing blame.
