before any sibling blood could be shed, we started giving them each their own room. at first, it was just the eldest, but as soon as we achieved bigger homes with more rooms, they each were put within their own four walls. of course, the first thing they pointed out was that they now had more room for more toys. i bought them books, instead.
a bedroom is a sanctuary, and it’s hard to have a quiet sanctuary if your sibling keeps leaving their dirty clothes on the floor or stealing your stuff. luckily, i had a sister and not a brother and sharing a room past the age of five 