Focus on the Family Magazine - April/May 2020

SIBLINGS / HACKS & FACTS
Clothing Squabbles
The two tween girls in my home are the same size.
Sharing clothes has become the norm, but sometimes
they borrow each other’s clothes without asking. So
I've established a few rules: Clothing received as a gift
or purchased with their own money does not have to
be shared. Hand-me-down clothing and shoes, however,
can be shared.
Should one sister want to wear something that
belongs to the other, she must present an equal
clothing exchange option to her sister. After wearing
the item once, the borrower must put the item into
her sister’s hamper without being reminded. They
understand that ruining an item, even by accident,
requires replacing.
Should either girl struggle to follow these rules, our
daughters must take a break from sharing
until they agree once again to the family clothing
guidelines.
—Kelly D. McManus
Encouragement Rocks
One day, a friend gave us a jar of rocks with a fruit
of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) written on each rock.
After dinner, we passed the jar around the table. Each
person chose a rock and shared how a family member
had demonstrated that positive character quality.
Encouraging each other around the dinner table shows
our triplets how to be encouraging to one another.
—Linsey Driskill
Siblings Bearing
Snacks
Sometimes it feels like I’m raising an army
of young children. Instead of constantly
running snacks and milk to them, I ask an
older sibling to bring them snacks. The
chosen food “messenger” learns how to
be the giver of good things, and the food
helps create positive feelings between
brothers and sisters.
—Rachel Meeks
Settling Arguments
CREDIT TK
Two of my boys enjoyed playing together but would
often end up fighting. When they were 5 and 8, I
started telling them to go to their beds since they
shared a bedroom. They weren’t allowed to get off of
their beds until they had worked out their argument.
This kept my boys at a safe distance, while still keeping
them close enough to talk when they were ready.
Desiring a quick end to their sequestered time motivated
them to work out their differences. The process
also helped them learn how to listen to each other.
—Lana Newton
April / May 2020 FOCUS ON THE FAMILY 9