Peace Chairs

b4kids-whole-engagement
Activity Type Setting Cost Time
Discussion
Indoor
No Cost
10 minutes or less

Activity

When a conflict occurs, between siblings or your child and a friend at your house, have the parties go to the dispute sit in “peace chairs,” designated chairs somewhere in the house. The idea is to have the two children learn to resolve disputes without parental/adult involvement. The structure of the peace chair conversation is that each child is allowed to say “when you did X, I felt…” The other party listens until the first is finished, and then roles are reversed. It is important that clear rules be developed. They can even be posted on a wall near the peace chairs. A couple of rules that generally work are: no shouting and no hiding faces. This exercise can also be attempted between adult and child, but seems to work best with peers.

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