“Will these children ever stop arguing?” you groan for the umpteenth time. Just face it. You can’t eliminate sibling rivalries altogether. But you can get them to work for you. Try these ideas:

1. Use their competitive spirit. Organise a contest to see who can make their play area/ room the tidiest in half an hour. Or who can do the best room decor on a rainy day.

2. Get them to team up. Tell them that if they get all the chores done (or homework finished) in an hour, they earn a Saturday outing. Working towards a common goal can make things smoother.

3. Delegate. Give your older child the task of teaching the younger one a skill. But give her some tips on how to get cooperation without being bossy. You’ll have one less thing to teach the younger one, and your older one learns some leadership skills.