The Child Psych Podcast1 Okt 2025

Why Your Kids Fight (and What Actually Helps Them Get Along) with Dr. Laura Markham, Episode 151

If your kids are constantly arguing, fighting, or competing for your attention, it can feel exhausting and overwhelming. You might find yourself stepping in again and again, trying to keep the peace, wondering if this is just “normal sibling rivalry” or something more.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Laura Markham—clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and founder of Aha! Parenting—to explore one of the most common (and stressful) parenting challenges: sibling relationships.

From everyday bickering to intense rivalry, sibling conflict often leaves parents feeling stuck between refereeing fights and trying to teach kindness. But what if these moments are actually opportunities to build emotional intelligence, connection, and lifelong relationship skills?

Dr. Markham shares research-backed insights and compassionate parenting strategies to help you understand why siblings fight, what’s happening beneath the behavior, and how to support emotional regulation in children without punishment, yelling, or taking sides.

This conversation will help you move from constant conflict toward more cooperation, empathy, and connection in your home.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why sibling rivalry happens and what drives conflict between children

• How to support emotional regulation during sibling fights

• What to do when kids won’t stop arguing or escalating

• How to respond without yelling, punishment, or taking sides

• Practical parenting strategies to build empathy, cooperation, and stronger sibling bonds

Whether you’re navigating toddler tantrums, big kid power struggles, or helping your children adjust to a new sibling, this episode offers clear, actionable tools to support healthier relationships and a calmer home environment.

Learn more about Dr. Markham’s book Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings:

https://www.peacefulparenthappykids.com/peaceful-parent-happy-siblings

Explore more of her work here:

https://www.peacefulparenthappykids.com/peaceful-parent-happy-kids

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