Reading the Situation
Your sister sighs loudly and crosses her arms after you take the remote. What might she be feeling?
frustrated or upset
You and your sister both want to use the computer at the same time. What’s the problem here?
taking turns or sharing resources
Both you and your sibling want to play with the new game first. How could you compromise?
taking turns or setting a timer
Your sister rolls her eyes when you start talking. What might that mean?
she doesn’t want to listen or is annoyed
You are on a phone call with your friends and your brother peeks his head into the room. You ask him to leave, and he cries and runs away. What might he be feeling and what can do you?
He is upset or hurt that you told him to go away. Mute the phone call and ask him "what's wrong?".
You could say, "hey, I'm sorry I asked you to leave. I'm almost done with my call. Can we talk after?"
Your sister is looking down and not talking during dinner after you borrowed her game without asking. What does this body language tell you?
hurt or annoyed
You want to play video games, but your sibling wants to watch a movie. What’s the conflict?
different choices or interests
You and your sibling both want snacks, but there’s only one bag of chips left. What could you do?
split the chips or find another snack to share
Your sister gives you a big smile when you share your toy. What is she feeling?
You accidentally broke your sister's iPad and it won't turn on. She is glaring at you and frowning. How might she be feeling and what can you do?
She is upset or mad.
You can apologize and offer your iPad to use in the meantime. You could buy her a new one or tell your parents about the situation.
You come home and your sister is slamming doors. What should you do first?
ask her calmly what’s wrong or give her space
You promised your sister you’d help her with homework, but a friend asks you to go outside instead. What’s the conflict?
keeping promises vs. wanting to do something else
Your sister wants to play outside, but you want to stay inside and draw. How can you solve this problem together?
agree to do one activity first, then the other
our sister quietly leaves the room after you tease her. What should you do next?
apologize or check in with her feelings
It's time to help clean the house and do chores. Your sister is not helping and is making a bigger mess. You yell at her to "clean up"! She doesn't listen.
How might your sister feel if you get frustrated?
What could you do to help her get the chore done?
She might feel frustrated too, embarrassed, or sad.
You could explain how to do it step-by-step, get the task started, or ask if there's a different chore she can start with.
If that doesn't help, do your own chores and give her some space.
Your sister snaps at you after you borrowed her headphones without asking. She then goes to her room and shuts the door. What might she be feeling, and why?
upset or hurt because her personal space or belongings were not respected
Your sibling keeps taking the last cookie from the jar before you get a chance. She says she didn’t see you wanted one. What’s the underlying problem in this situation?
conflict over sharing or turn-taking
You and your sister both want to pick the movie for movie night. You like action, she likes comedy. How could you come to a compromise?
taking turns choosing movies, finding a movie that blends both genres, or agreeing to watch one movie now and the other next time
While talking to your sister about a school project, she keeps crossing her arms, looking away, and sighing. What might these social cues indicate, and how could you respond?
she might be frustrated, annoyed, or not engaged, and you could respond by asking if she needs a break, clarifying the task, or checking if she wants to share her ideas
How does your brother and sister feel to be yelled at?
How can you compromise or solve the problem?
They feel upset.
You can suggest taking a vote ("Raise your hand if you want to watch ____?").
You can come up with a schedule (get it in writing and follow through) to take turns choosing.
You come home from school two hours late and your younger sibling is looking at you with beady eyes, furrowed eye brows, and a frown. You promised to play a game with them right after school, and now it's time for dinner and a friend phone call. Read the situation. What's wrong?
Your sibling is mad because your promised to do something and now you don't have time.
You are talking about something with your brother. They look at you and seem offended. What's the problem? What can you do?
You offended your brother and hurt his feelings.
You can ask "what's wrong?" and tell them that you didn't mean it. Apologize if needed.
Your sister wants to play a game with you. You make a deal that you'll play the game that she likes if you also play the game that you like after. She plays her game but doesn't follow through with yours. What can you do?
Have a talk with your sister, and let her know that she needs to follow-through with your game, because that was part of the deal. Tell her why it's important to follow-through with promises: 1) You made a deal and need to be honest, 2) If you're not trustworthy, then people might not want to play with you, 3) To be fair and "compromise".
OR
Step away. Take a deep breath. Compromise that you can play again, but have to agree to play your game first next time (BUT YOU follow-through). This builds trust and teamwork.
OR
Take a break for a while. Talk to mom if needed.
While play a game together, your sister is laughing and smiling. What might these social cues indicate, and how could you respond?
She's feeling happy and likes spending time with you. You could invite her to play with you sometimes and show that you're having fun too (e.g., smiling and laughing).