Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old

The prompt

“Has there been a time you and a sibling teamed up against a shared problem?”

What to listen for

If they can describe working together toward something, even something small like covering for each other or solving a chore together, that's real evidence of the sibling bond growing beyond rivalry, worth celebrating out loud.

If they can't think of a time, that's worth noting gently rather than worrying, you might look for a low-stakes way to set up teamwork between them.

If they say "I don't know," bring up a specific situation, like a big cleanup or a shared secret, and ask if that counts.

What this tells you

This tells you whether the sibling relationship feels like a team some of the time, not just competition.