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Below are tips to teach your child how to share his stuff and games with other kids:
Make it Fun: Teach your child cooperative games in which he has to work with others, rather than competitive games which focus on winning.
Share projects, too: water the plants, sweep the floor, or unpack the shopping together.
Speak together about it: When your child disputes with a friend about a toy, try to intervene before things become too heated. If either child starts having a full-blown tantrum, try to remove your child from the area until things have calmed down. Once both children are ready to listen, discuss the situation with them in a thoughtful and compassionate way. 1
Teach your child problem solving: If your little one has a firm grip on a toy truck that his playmate wants, the concept of sharing the truck may not even have occurred to him. Encourage your child to take turns with the truck. Reassure him that sharing isn't the same as giving away, and point out that if he shares his toys with friends, they'll be more inclined to share theirs with him. 1
Be a good example: The best way for your three or four-year-old to learn generosity is to witness it. Therefore, share your ice cream with him. Offer him your scarf for a superhero's cape, and ask if you can try on his new hat.
Use the word “share” to describe what you're doing, and let your child know that you can share a story, a feeling or an idea, as well as sharing material things. Most importantly, let him see you give and take, compromise, and share with others.1
Dr. Lydia Serhal
Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist, and Allergologist
