Encourage "I" statements when your preschooler is expressing his feelings. For example, when your preschooler complains that a classmate committed an injustice against him, encourage him to make an "I" statement such as, "I feel [emotion] when you [insert action]." Articulating feelings to peers facilitates positive communication and encourages empathy by showing preschoolers how their actions affect others.
Restate the feelings of all preschoolers involved in a conflict when guiding a resolution. For example, when intervening over a toy robot dispute, say to both children, "so, Jack, you were playing with the robot and Henry wanted to play too? But you wanted to keep playing by yourself, is that right?" Address the other child also, by saying, "and Henry, you wanted to play with Jack and the robot because Jack said before lunch that you could play together?" Wait for both preschoolers to confirm their feelings and order of events before suggesting a resolution.
Ask the disputing preschoolers to suggest resolutions themselves. For example, when handling a conflict involving an excluded peer from a game, say, "OK, so Clara wants to play spies and wizards with you and Jessica, right? But you didn't want her to play because there would be too many players on that team. What are some solutions here?" Be prepared to suggest solutions such as playing another game or including other people so both teams are equal.
Act out common confrontations using puppets or toys. Have the preschoolers employ role playing for common disputes such as refusing to share, pushing or physical altercations or announcing, "I don't want to play with you anymore." Encourage the children to explain the characters' emotions and suggest possible solutions by asking, "How do you think that makes [insert character] feel?" and, "What do you all think are some good solutions here?" Role playing lets the children practice the logistics of conflict resolution, such as considering the other person's viewpoint and compromising, so they're prepared when solving a real-life situation.