When my children were very young and gave me the “she did it!/He did it!”story, I would set them at the table and tell them when they gave me the same story, they could get up. Within five minutes of listening from the other side of the door, I knew the truth, however, listening to them negotiate how to keep each other out of trouble was great. The stories they gave me were always technically true and if I pressed I could have isolated the one which was at fault. The teamwork and friendship these negotiations inspired made them not only siblings, but friends. It also made the ‘guilty’ one think about what had happened more. Those factors were worth way more than any discipline that might have been appropriate.Respectfully,C.
When my children were very young and gave me the “she did it!/He did it!”story, I would set them at the table and tell them when they gave me the same story, they could get up. Within five minutes of listening from the other side of the door, I knew the truth, however, listening to them negotiate how to keep each other out of trouble was great. The stories they gave me were always technically true and if I pressed I could have isolated the one which was at fault. The teamwork and friendship these negotiations inspired made them not only siblings, but friends. It also made the ‘guilty’ one think about what had happened more. Those factors were worth way more than any discipline that might have been appropriate.Respectfully,C.