How to Teach Young Children to Share
Teaching children to share can sometimes seem like an interesting challenge especially when it comes to toddlers and younger children. However, with practice and plenty of encouragement from parents, young children can learn it’s fun to share their toys. Teaching children to share can be useful and important for their overview social wellbeing. Though childrens clothing will probably not be appropriate when it comes to learning to share, young children can be taught to share anything from games, books, to food.
Lead by Example
Toddlers and younger children usually don’t share without being taught to do so. Developmental psychologists suggest that this is because they don’t have a strong self-possession or a sense of self away from their parents yet, and so emotions such as empathy and understanding other’s feelings tend to be premature. However, parents can start encouraging young children to share at this stage.
Leading by example helps your child learn to share through involvement. Begin by sharing simple things such as fruit slices or snacks with your child. Use the word, ‘share’ when passing the item to your child to let them know what it means. Whenever you’re sharing with other members of the family, emphasis the benefits of sharing.
Ownership and Sharing
Ownership
An important part of learning to share is understanding ownership. Begin by teaching young children the difference between sharing and ownership. With each opportunity to share show them that sharing doesn’t mean that the other child or playmate gets to keep the item and take it home with them.
Repeated Encouragement
Often it will take repeat attempts to allow your child to learn the difference between ownership and sharing. Teach them patiently, always in an encouraging tone, and don’t discipline if they refuse to share.
Other’s Property
They may also need to learn to respect the property of others. For example, if they take another child’s property without permission, remove it from their possession and tell them not to do it again. Teach young children to ask for permission and wait for their turn if they want to borrow from others.
Teach What Sharing Means
If they show anxiety or reluctance about sharing something, use a timer to introduce time to the concept of sharing. When the timer goes off, the item should change hands to another child. When it goes off again, the item is returned to your child’s possession. If a young child knows that they will get the item back, they are much more likely to find it increasingly easy to share in the future.
When They Don’t Want to Share
Half Sharing
When your child is very adverse to sharing, you may find it useful to teach them ‘proto-sharing’. Proto-sharing or half sharing means they show the item to other children. Put them in charge of demonstration how the toy or game works and gradually ease them into the idea of sharing. Remember to give positive affirmation when they do half share and later when they fully share the toy or game with another child.
Giving Choice
Another way to encourage openness to sharing in young children is to give a choice about what they want to share. For example, ask them which games or toys another child can play with before passing the item to the other children. Praise your child when they give their toy over. Keeping playdates short, especially for younger children, can make it easier for the child. Other than your boys or girls clothes, your child can learn to share almost anything.
