The Sportscaster Approach

When siblings fight, narrate what you see without taking sides: "I see two kids who both want the same toy and are having a hard time sharing." This technique, called sportscasting, names the problem without assigning blame and signals that you see them both.

Sportscasting works because it slows the emotional tempo. Children in conflict operate from their brainstem — fight or flight. Your calm narration activates their thinking brain. It also models the emotional literacy you want them to develop: naming what is happening before reacting to it. Over time, children pick up the same narration skill.