Rving with Kids – Mommmmmm…she's touching me!

It’s inevitable that staying is such small quarters in going to lead to sibling arguing eventually.  My darling daughters are at that teen and pre-teen stage where they are either best friends or bickering about everything.  Unfortunately for us, most of their bickering happens while we are on the road and privacy is limited !

These are a few things we’ve tried to do to help with the arguing-

~ Let them take turns bringing a friend.  For some reason, the girls get along much better when one of them has a friend along.  They usually become a threesome and wander the campground together leaving me to enjoy some peace and quiet at the campsite.  Not always, but usually.

~ Pitch a tent.  When the campsite is big enough, we put up a tent next to the motorhome.  The girls can stay in there together (so this way at least I don’t have to listen to the bickering as much).  Or one of them will stay out there with their younger brother and the other will stay inside with us. 

~ Let them take turns helping cook, pick out the games and activities.  Sometimes just being able to be “in charge” of something seems to make them happy.  And happy children are much less likely to turn into sulking, whining kids.

~ Wear them out.  Go for lots of walks and bike rides.  Let them swim in the pool/beach all day long.  A tired kid is a quiet kid !  It takes a lot of energy to start up an argument.

~ If that doesn’t seem to work, leave one of them at home.  They can have a fun weekend with their grandparents or a friend.  Sometimes seperating them for a weekend gives them new things to talk about when they see each other again at the end of the weekend.

One funny side note…when I started working on this article a week ago, the girls were slamming doors and yelling at each other.  This morning they were helping each other get ready for school and talking about cute boys.

This parenting thing is NOT for whimps !

Until next week,

~Shannone