Help a Mom: Keeping summertime sibling rivalry at bay

Summer vacation is upon us and that means that many siblings will be spending a lot more quality time together than usual.

Sure, there will be moments when they play nice or, at the very least, leave each other alone. But, let's all agree, there will be times when they can't stand each other. I was just talking to a friend of mine who remembers that the fighting began at the breakfast table on the very first day of summer vacation last year.

At my house, rivalry isn't an issue. My girls, who are more than four years apart, get along really well. But there are times when my younger daughter, who absolutely loves her big sister, can get on her nerves. My older daughter usually stalks off to a quiet spot to read, but there are times when that doesn't work.

What do I do? I take them outside. We head to a park or playground. We walk on a trail. We take the bikes out or, if it's stormy, head to a museum (luckily we live near many of them in Raleigh).

How do you cut down on summertime sibling rivalry?