How to End a Family Fight

Keep your cool.

It’s easy to get fired up when your family is fighting. If you feel like you might yell or explode instead of talking calmly, take a walk around the block to calm down first. No matter who you’re talking to, doing it in a calm manner will go much better than yelling or screaming. You can also try breathing deeply or counting to 10 anytime you feel yourself getting stressed.

Call a family meeting.

It will be much easier to talk to everyone at the same time. See if there’s a good time and day that works for everyone in your family to get together. Then, you can all meet up and talk about your issues. If you’re younger, try asking your parents to call a family meeting and invite all your siblings. If the problem is with your extended family, consider asking them to talk over video chat or on the phone.

Listen to everyone.

Give everyone in the family a chance to speak. That way, everyone feels like they get a say in what’s going on. Don’t interrupt, even if it seems like someone is lying or being dramatic—when it’s your turn to talk, you can bring up the stuff that’s bothering you. Letting everyone talk can be tough, especially if they’re saying things that make you mad. However, if you let everyone else talk, they’ll hear what you have to say, too.

Maintain neutral body language.

Rolling your eyes and sighing says a lot about what you think. As you listen to other people talk, try to keep your face neutral and don’t let your emotions show. When you talk, keep your tone of voice light and try not to yell or lash out in anger. Have you ever seen someone roll their eyes while you were talking before? It can make you even more angry than you already were! Keep the peace by checking your body language throughout the conversation.

Communicate your needs.

Name what you’re feeling and how you’d like to fix it. Express what’s going on with you so your family knows how to move forward. If anyone tries to interrupt, calmly remind them that you let them talk, so they need to do the same for you. For example, you could say something like, “When you yell at me about not doing my chores but don’t yell at my sister, it makes me feel hurt. I feel like we aren’t getting the same treatment around the house, which is unfair.”

Use “I” language.

Center the problems around how you’re feeling. Instead of blaming your family members or calling them out, try to use “I” statements as much as possible. This can help people feel less defensive and more able to work through issues with you. For example, instead of saying, “You yell at me too much,” you could say, “When you yell at me, I feel afraid.” Or, instead of saying, “You never listen to me,” you could say, “When you talk over me, it makes me feel like I don’t have a say in what the family does.”

Try not to take sides.

If you’re not directly involved in the fight, keep your position neutral. Picking sides between parents, siblings, or extended family members will only make the problem worse. Listen to what everyone has to say, and try to offer unbiased advice. It can be tough not to take sides, especially if you actually think one person is in the right. If you’re an adult in the household, consider calling in an outside mediator, like a mental health professional.

Come up with a resolution.

It’s time to express what you need in the future. Try to come up with something that everyone in the family is okay with. If you can’t come up with a perfect solution, pick something that everyone can compromise on, even if it’s a little bit inconvenient. For example, if you and your siblings fight over the bathroom in the morning, consider setting a bathroom schedule with allotted time limits. If you’re not directly involved in the fight, you might not be able to come up with a resolution, and that’s okay. Encourage your other family members to come up with something that everyone can be happy with.

Leave the area if things get heated.

Family fights can turn ugly pretty quickly. If anyone starts to yell, scream, or get physical with each other, take that as your cue to get out of there. Let everyone know that you can reconvene when they all agree to be civil and polite with each other. If you’re a kid and you feel like you’re in danger, talk to a trusted adult, like a teacher or a guidance counselor. They can help you figure out what to do next.

Talk with a mental health professional if you need to.

Sometimes, you and your family can’t come up with a resolution. If you’re an adult in the household, consider talking to a family therapist. They can help you work through your issues in a calm, civilized manner to reach a solution that works for everyone. You can also talk to a therapist one on one to come up with ways to work through family issues. This is a great option if your family is opposed to therapy or you don’t live in the same area as them.