Quick, Grab the Riot Gear!

It's a miracle!!

This morning I have a clean house (thanks to Camie) and some peace and quiet. K is asleep, the other three kids are at school, and Terence went off to pick up B so I wouldn't have to. Probably I should be taking a nap-- the only drawback to Camie cleaning my house is that I tend to stay up late chatting with her. But it's so nice to be awake and enjoy the silence.

Last night was the complete opposite. My house was mostly destroyed, getting the kids to settle down and do their homework was impossible, and we had World War III among the Allies (i.e. M, J & B.) It was very nasty. You know that scripture in Mosiah, the one that says that you will not suffer that your children fight and quarrel one with another? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE???? Even when I try to be calm, patient, and diplomatic, that doesn't stop my children from pushing each other, spitting on each other, grabbing each other's toys and tossing them into unreachable places, and calling each other names. They don't listen to me when I quietly try to redirect them. When I send them to their rooms, it ends up being a yelling fight through the wall and under the doors. (Plus the girls get sent to the same room, which inevitably ends up as some kind of contest where they each fire toys at each other from their respective beds.)

If I resort to yelling at them (which I often do, I'm no perfect parent), it settles them down for a minute but then it starts again. Usually with a fight over "who started it." I've taken away privilege after privilege but in the midst of mutual combat it really has no effect.

I would wonder what on earth I was doing wrong as a parent except for one thing: I remember being this way with my sisters. And I've heard other people reminisce about similar behavior with their siblings. We did grow up to mostly get along. I actually enjoy my sisters' company, and I didn't permanently scar either of them (I think).

Still, I have to wonder . . . is it possible to have peace in the home with rambunctious siblings? Is there some magical formula I'm just missing?