Yes

by Joseph Whalen

Created on: February 04, 2008

Mediation requires impartiality, patience and diplomacy, three things that all mothers are supremely endowed with when it comes to their children. Regardless of their age, conflicts will always arise among siblings. There are innumerable motivational factors at play between our children that it is impossible to truly understand all of the complex dynamics. Often times our mothers are a major factor in whatever conflicts might arise, either directly or indirectly.

The issues could be self evident in a conflict, but more often there is an underlying motivation that is unspoken that motivate two siblings into rivalry. Parents and mothers specifically have more insight into such intricacies than anyone else. This fact alone dictates that our mothers would be the best arbitrators to mediate a conflict. Beyond this simple paternal bond is the fact that you will likely never find another mediator with a truly sympathetic ear to both parties. A mother must be impartial, not because of being placed in the position of mediator, but because a mother cannot afford to take sides with either child.

The voice of reason comes from many places, but when it comes from a familiar and comforting person it is much more likely to be heeded. Mothers hold sway over their children through a bond that is impossible to replicate and just as difficult to explain. Regardless of how well understood this bond is its existence is undeniable. While there are certainly exceptions, very few people can truly deep down resist the machinations of their mothers. Your race, religion or culture matter not when it comes to the reverence and respect that mothers are accorded. That high state in our minds alone warrants their judgment and decisions to be heard and heeded.

Outside of the authority emanating from our mothers and the impartiality they must maintain, our mothers are always looking out for our best interests. There are few independent parties that would be as interested in our well being as our mother. In the case of a sibling disagreement you can rest assured your mother is equally interested in the best thing for both sides. She is sure to conduct herself in a manner befitting the reverence placed on her and ensure that both sides are treated amicably during the entirety of the dispute.

As we grow older our views and opinions change. Our passions shift and our priorities become clearer. No longer are we governed by the adolescent impulses that drove us to conflict with our brothers and sisters in the past. As such the conflicts of older siblings take on a much more sober and intense nature than the petty squabbling that once marked the arguments our mothers had to get involved in. Philosophical debates are something our mothers will likely tend to keep their distance from. However, they are still imminently qualified to mediate a dispute even if they do not truly understand the nature of the dispute. The fact remains that a mother knows her children. She understands their motivations and their mindsets and has an insight unique to solving conflicts between them.

It is perhaps in these later years when our mother's mediation is most needed. When two siblings reach a point in which they have fundamentally differing opinions and views on the world there is very little anyone can do to bring them around to common ground. At this stage they are largely set in their ways and getting them to agree on terms is difficult at best, impossible at worst. This is when a mother can resolve a conflict without necessarily achieving agreement on a subject. Sometimes it is better to agree to disagree then to continue a conflict. This middle ground is an area that a mother can impose her influence to have her children meet and resolve issues.

While not all mothers meet the qualifications stated here, and certainly not all siblings are as reasonable as the assumptions put forth in this document, for the most part our mothers are uniquely suited to resolving our conflicts. Before one can put their differences aside there must be an attitude of trust and understanding. No one embodies these two principles more than our mothers, regardless of how old we are. We might not realize this while we are young, but we always come to appreciate it once we reach a certain maturity level.

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