How to teach children to be kind?

[niffer]

I have children ages 1 and 3. They fight a lot. The 3 year old will get bored and go looking for entertainment and hit his sister. She will take a toy she knows he is playing with- I think on purpose!

Now, before you tell me to "keep them busy" that is hard! Occasionally I have to do things like vacume the floor or cook dinner or answer the phone.

My mom keeps saying that the teachers at the school she works at prevent the kids from arguing. I agree- they have older kids and a very very structured enviornment. I want my kids to be kind to each other, but I think that it is easier to say than do.

Also, my children are extremely kind to each other the other half of the time. They play with each other and will help each other with things (Haley will go get Benjamins shoes and hand them to him when it is time to get dressed, or he will help her climb up the stairs at the playplace.) They say thank you and hold doors open for each other and are very very sweet loving kids

[Cindy]

when children fight, they are learning skills such as problem solving, cause and effect, pain, danger, self confidence. not all fighting is bad. Only the fighting when some one gets hurt is when you need to interrupt.

if you can't handle them fighting, and you need to do something else E.g. cook tea. then put them in separate rooms to play in with lots of toys and things to do so they know they aren't being punished.

[Mikki Sue71]

My children are 4 and 2. My son (2) likes to push/hit his sister (4) and she likes to take toys from him. I've decided that it is sibling rivalry and now I let them work it out. Unless they are hurting each other (which they haven't), I don't interfere.

[QendrimX-SM]

You needith enforce the Discipline.

That's the way my "people" do it. xD

But don't over do it! Just when you see your kid do something wrong, inflict some pain each time he does it to make your kid know not to do it anymore!