When Siblings Are Stuck Together

When Siblings Are Stuck Together

From How Not to Screw Up Your Kids by Dr Maryhan

May 24, 2026 · 13 min

About this episode

This episode discusses sibling conflict and provides tools for parents to help their children manage emotional stress.

If your children have been at each other all week, this episode will change everything. I’m diving into one of the biggest sources of family stress - sibling conflict - and why it’s almost never about the toy, the sofa, or the “look” one child gave the other, and nearly always about your children’s emotional buckets overflowing. In this bucket-emptying episode, I walk you through three powerful tools I use with families every day: • Weekly one‑to‑one special time that transforms behaviour through connection • Protected “own time” so each child can decompress and reset • Real‑time descriptive praise that rewires the emotional climate in your home You’ll learn how to stop refereeing, reduce friction, and help your children regulate themselves, even during school holidays, long weekends, or those intense indoor days when everyone is in each other’s pockets. Pick one tool this week and watch the shift. You’ve got this! So pour yourself a cuppa, find a comfy seat, and enjoy the conversation… Highlights from this episode: 00:55 - Sibling conflict is not what you think 02:07 - Special time 07:19 - Time and space 09:14 - Descriptive praise 💚 Please share with at least one friend, and…

People in this episode

Host: Dr Maryhan

Topics covered

  • sibling conflict
  • family stress
  • emotional regulation
  • parenting tools
  • connection

Keywords

  • sibling conflict
  • parenting
  • emotional buckets
  • descriptive praise
  • special time

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