Teaching a Child How to Share

The desire to possess is a natural one and in the case of toddlers, it starts with taking “ownership” of toys, clothes and so on. This desire to possess has both a good and a bad side. On one hand, at home, the ownership can be channeled into respecting and caring for the items “owned.” This plays an important role in the development of self-discipline. However, ownership must be balanced with the understanding of the concept of sharing. Sharing at home, within the limited group of parents and siblings is not stressful for the toddler. It is when she starts daycare that true sharing starts and if the child is unable to share, then making friends, socializing and playing will become extremely difficult.

 

Image Courtesy: Pexels

Lessons in Sharing

•  Children learn by mimicking what adults do. When you become a role model for sharing and taking turns, your child will be more open to the idea.

•  When you see another child sharing with other children, point it out to your child and comment on what a nice thing it is to do.

•  When you see your child sharing with others, be sure to praise her for being a good person.

•  Play games that require players to take turns. Be sure to explain the concept of taking turns and also explain how important it is in making the game fun.

•  When the child goes on play dates, ask her if she is willing to share her toys with others. If she is hesitant, find out why. Allay her fears and explain why sharing is a good thing.

•  Some children take longer than others to accept the need to share. In such cases, it is important to be patient and continually reinforce the importance of sharing without becoming angry or upset.

•  There are often one or two special toys that are very important to the child. It is okay to keep these toys separate so that other children do not have access to them and the question of sharing does not arise. Would you lend your favorite possession to someone else?

Teaching your child to share with others before she starts daycare will make the transition from home to a new environment much easier. Your child will find it easier to become part of a group and will make new friends quickly. This will remove or at least greatly reduce the fear of the new surroundings that the child will initially experience.

A good daycare will understand that children need support and encouragement to learn to share. Such a daycare will have its own policies on this. Talk to the daycare you are sending your child to about this issue so that there is no conflict between what you say about sharing and what the daycare says and does. If you are not happy with your daycare’s attitude towards sharing and other issues, find another one that is more in sync which your parenting style. Using a web resource to find and contact daycares in your area will save you a great deal of time and effort and improve the likelihood of finding one that suits your child best.