• Home
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS

for the family

everyday wisdom for everyday families

  • start here
    • Meet Patrick and Ruth
    • Meet the Contributors
    • Statement of Faith
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Videos
  • For Better or For Kids
  • You
    • Following God
    • Ministry
    • Relationships
  • Family
    • Marriage
    • Motherhood
    • Fatherhood
    • Parenting
      • Special Needs
      • Babies
      • Toddlers
      • Teens
    • Discipleship
  • Food
  • Shop

Family Parenting

20 Questions to Help Your Kids Get Along

How do you handle sibling squabbles? Getting to the heart of why it is important to use words that encourage instead of tear down can be a tough job as a parent! These 20 questions are here to help. Use them anytime with your children to stir conversation and help them learn to love and care for one another. Ah, bickering. Sadly it’s as natural to siblings as breathing. But that doesn’t mean squabbling is right—or that we parents are powerless to change it.

If your kids have gotten into a habit of bossing and barking at each other, try this. Sit the kids down and inspire them to discover how much they actually do appreciate about each other. By presenting some simple, even goofy questions and team-building activities, you can help your children realize there are far more reasons to get along than to fight.

Oh—and there’s just one ground rule:

“When you talk, do not say harmful things. But say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will help those who listen to you” (Ephesians 4:29, ICB).

1. If your sibling went far away to live as a foreign exchange student for an entire year, what’s something you would miss about him/her?

2. Imagine you lost your ability to speak and could only communicate with your brother/sister through hand motions. How would you say “I love you”? “Good night”? “Please pass the ketchup”?

3. If your brother/sister were an ice cream cone, what flavor would he/she be, and why?

4. Pretend you and your siblings are a team of super heroes and you have to work together to save the world. What powers would you each have? How would you use them to fight evil?

5. Name three talents you appreciate about your brother/sister.

6. Let’s play an alphabet game. Starting with the oldest sibling, choose a (nice) word to describe the sibling on your left. The word must start with “A.” Then go around the circle, each sibling choosing a word to describe another sibling, which starts with the next letter of the alphabet. Continue until you’ve completed the entire alphabet, A through Z.

7. Have a staring contest. The first person to blink must give his/her opponent a compliment.

8. Our family is a team! Work together to design a team jersey. What should our team be called?

9. Place 10 to 20 household items on the table. (For example, a spoon, a hairbrush, a remote control, etc.) Tell the kids to close their eyes, then remove one of the objects. Have all the siblings work together to agree on which item is missing. Reward correct answers with candy or coins.

10. Create a collaborative story. Have the youngest child begin, “Once upon a time, there was a ____.” Then have another sibling continue the story, then another, and so on. Agree how many turns each child will have creating the next stage of the plot, then wrap it up with a happily ever after. See if this doesn’t generate some welcome giggles for the whole family!

11. Ask your children some basic questions about their favorite things—such as favorite color, favorite food, favorite television show, etc. But have their siblings come up with the answers. This will encourage the kids to take notice of each other and discover more about their unique personalities.

12. Imagine you must live together on a desert island for a week. Each of you is allowed to bring one item to help the group survive. What would you bring? (Encourage discussion among the kids before they answer.)

13. If you had to give one of your most prized possessions to your sibling(s), which would it be and why?

14. What one thing do you wish your sibling(s) would do for you?

15. Imagine you are 100 years old. What will the world be like then? How will you and your siblings spend time together?

16. What is your favorite memory so far of the time you’ve spent together?

17. If you could choose only one board game to play for the rest of your childhood, what would it be? (Each of the kids can have a different answer.) How much fun would those games be if you didn’t have anybody to play them with? Aren’t you glad you have built-in playmates in our family?

18. Pretend your sibling was captured by aliens. What would you do to rescue him/her?

19. Why do you think God made siblings?

20. The Bible says it’s important to pray for one another. Why? What would you like your brother/sister to pray about for you today?

For more help encouraging your kiddos to be friends, check out my newest parent/child Bible study download, Let’s All Get Along: How to Live in Harmony With Siblings.

Blessings,
Becky Kopitzke

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)


About Becky Kopitzke

Becky Kopitzke is an author, speaker, singer, dreamer, lunch packer, snowman builder and recovering perfectionist. She lives with her handsome husband and their two tween daughters in northeast Wisconsin.

Becky believes parenting is one of God’s greatest tools for building our faith, character, and strength—and it’s not always pretty. On her blog, BeckyKopitzke.com, she offers encouragement for fellow imperfect moms, pointing our weaknesses, blessings, and victories to God. Becky is the author of three books including The Cranky Mom Fix: Get a Happier, More Peaceful Home by Slaying the "Momster" in All of Us, The SuperMom Myth: Conquering the Dirty Villains of Motherhood and Generous Love: Discover the Joy of Living "Others First." Connect with Becky on Facebook , Instagram and Pinterest!

« How to Tell If You Isolate Yourself During Sorrow
Appreciating & Building Up Your Husband in the Home »

Hey there! Thanks so much for stopping by our blog. We are absolutely thrilled you are here! We are a crazy church planting couple who loves Jesus, our four kids and loads of coffee! We are giving God the glory every step of the way and love sharing our journey with you.

Read more about us

Subscribe and receive our free guide to help you get through this season of suffering.

POPULAR POSTS

  • No Bake Coconut Snowballs (GF)
  • 5 Scriptures for Hope During Hard Times
  • Eight Prayers Every Parent Should Pray for Their Children
  • 5 Bible Verses to Pray Over The Hard Times in Marriage
  • 3 Ways to Help Your Daughter Respond Well to Mean Girls

Categories

Search For the Family

Copyright © 2022 For the Family · Design by Bethany Beams