A Chaotic Family Anonymous

“You’re not the boss of me!” my younger brother taunts as I attempt to make him return a toy that he took from our youngest sibling. Meanwhile, another brother sits on the couch, laughing at all of the commotion going on. As the instigator of this fight jumps on top of the kitchen table, flaunting the stolen toy, I once again try to reason with him. I ask how he would feel if someone took his toys. After spouting out the golden rule and suggesting that he go play with his own, “cooler” toys, I finally convince him to give back the stolen property, restoring a fragile peace in the house.

Later, I hear a frustrated yell from the other room, “I don’t understand this!” After investigating the source of the cry, I discover that my brother’s fourth-grade math homework has almost brought him to tears. I tell him to take a deep breath, and I read over the problem with him. After showing him how to work through it, I hear him grumble a thank-you before continuing his work.

This type of chaotic atmosphere is a near-constant my family's house, even if the topics of the fights may have transitioned over the years from toys to videogames. With three younger brothers, it is often my responsibility to act as a mediator during disputes and to...