How Do I Stop My Kids Driving Me Crazy?

Sedatives?

Neah, seriously.   Good parenting is tough.  Nobody expects you to be a saint and maybe it's right that you occasionally let your kids know that they are driving you to your wits' end.  It shows that you're human and that they really have upset you.

Try to prevent situations where they are mostly likely to act up (easier said than done).  Don't be afraid to let little things slide sometimes and choose your battles carefully.  

Among their more annoying habits:

Being picky, fussy and eccentric... but when you were a child, weren't you the same?

Kids fighting with their siblings is one of life's rites of passage, try to persuade them that they CAN work together (without resorting to violence!) to find a half-way satisfactory solution to all parties and whatever you do, don't take sides in their disputes.

Not cooperating, when you want to go out for the day or buy them new shoes: withdraw all privileges until they start being less bolshy; lay it on thick about how important it is to be helpful to mummy/daddy and the family.  Invoke Thomas the Tank Engine: 'All engines want to be Really Useful' works well with young children.   It's also okay to lay on an incentive scheme 'We can go to McDonald's after our shopping is done', etc.