In a nutshell: This article explains that parents shouldn't always force children to share. Sharing promotes kindness and consideration, but in some situations it's okay to prioritize one's own needs or a toy. Children should rather be taught how to share properly: creating a shared play space, leading by example, and respecting their right to say no, especially in cases of inappropriate or aggressive behavior.
- Sharing is beneficial, but not appropriate in every situation.
- Children should learn to protect their own needs and belongings.
- A shared play space can make sharing easier for children.
- Parents should encourage children with questions and by example, not by pressure.
- Children should be able to decline play or sharing when someone treats them badly or aggressively.
As a parent, you've likely found yourself in a situation where your child wanted something someone else was playing with.
So, should you always force your child to share with others?
Well, here's what we think: sharing is a good thing. It teaches children how to be kind and considerate of others. However, there are times when sharing may not be appropriate. For example, if you were playing with your child at the beach and another child came over to also play with the sandcastles - that would be an inappropriate time for your child to share their castle.
Should you always force your child to share? No! In fact, we believe it's important for children to learn that sometimes they need to stand on their own two feet and take care of their own needs first!
It's a pretty common scenario: you're at the park with your kids and they want to play with something. But they're not sure if they should ask you first, so they just go ahead and do it anyway.
Or maybe a friend comes over and wants to play with a toy that belongs to your child.
Or it's one of your children's friends who just moved into the neighborhood and doesn't have any toys yet. And then there are all those moments when we're at the grocery store or picking up clothes from the dry cleaner and our kids want something that isn't theirs - like a magazine or a pen, or even just an empty candy wrapper from the checkout counter.
What should we do in such cases? Should we always insist that our children share? Or is it sometimes okay - especially when they're with people they know well - if they decide they don't want to give up their toy?
You don't have to force your child to share, but you should teach them how to do it properly.
We all know that making a child share their toys can be really tough, but the right approach can work wonders. I remember my own children being quite stubborn at a young age and refusing to let anyone else play with their toys. But once they understood that sharing is great fun, they never looked back!
One of the best ways to make sharing toys fun is to involve children in creating a shared play space for everyone - it's much easier for them if they see what you're doing than if someone just tells them what to do.
Here are some tips on how to teach children sharing:
- Before starting any activity, ask them which toys are theirs and which belong to other people at home or at school; this will help keep things organized later too!
- Encourage them to try new things by asking questions like: "What do you think will happen if we try this?" or "What would happen if we did this instead?". This helps children learn through experimentation without feeling forced into something new (which can cause resistance).
If a child only takes toys from others, they'll grow up believing that's okay. But if you teach them from a young age that sharing is important, then they'll grow up believing that sharing things with others is normal - and it will help them make more friends.
We think the key to success is teaching children about sharing at an early age so they understand what it means before they start kindergarten or school.
It's also important that we, as parents, teach our children to say no when another child approaches them with an offer to share or play. It's not just about saying no because you don't want to share your toys; it's also about saying no when someone is being mean or aggressive towards you or your belongings.
