When Kids Clash: A Practical Guide to Conflict Resolution in Afterschool Care

Conflict between kids is inevitable — but how you handle it makes all the difference. In this two-part episode of After the Bell, we're diving deep into conflict resolution in school-age care, giving you the tools to not just stop fights, but actually teach children how to resolve disagreements on their own.We start by breaking down the five root causes of conflict — communication, emotions, values, structural forces, and history — and the five conflict styles you'll see play out in your program every day. Then we get into the skills you need as a teacher: how to listen to both sides without bias, read nonverbal cues, ask the right questions, and mediate without just picking a winner.In part two, we cover practical, classroom-ready strategies you can start using tomorrow — from role playing and I-messages to the Peace Path, conflict journals, Rock Paper Scissors for minor disputes, and even training student conflict managers. We also walk through a step-by-step process for mediating conflict calmly and effectively, and why giving kids a voice in the solution leads to better outcomes for everyone.Whether you're dealing with daily squabbles over LEGOs or escalating shouting matches, this episode will help you approach conflict with confidence — and turn every disagreement into a learning opportunity.Topics covered: causes of conflict, conflict styles, teacher listening skills, proxemics, discipline vs. punishment, logical consequences, I-messages, role playing, peer mediation, the Stop-Talk-Listen-Think framework, win-win solutions, and building a conflict resolution culture in your program.