Sharing is an important life lesson to teach children at a young age because it provides them with a basis that acts as a guide when building connections with their peers and friends. Sharing can be a difficult topic to teach to a young child, but with consistency and effort, you will succeed with educating your child on the importance of sharing.
A great way to educate your child is by being a role model. As a role model, you can exhibit the behaviors that you would like your child to learn. You can be a great example for your child by showcasing how to share daily tasks within your family such as chores or taking turns to pick the TV show to watch together.
When it is time to start preparing your child for back to school, it is important to practice sharing techniques before so that they are aware how they can involve sharing in their daily school routine and activities. You can do this by placing your child’s favorite book or toy at a distance that is far enough from your child so that he/she could reach it, but another child could also reach the toy as well. Explain and demonstrate to your child that when they are at school, that object can be enjoyed and used by many students, not just themself.
If you see your child take a toy away from his friend or sibling, give them a chance to see how they handle it. This is a great way for children to learn how to interact with others and how to act and manage difficult situations on their own. However, if your child can not resolve the altercation alone with the knowledge that they have learned from the sharing techniques, it is necessary that you intervene and remember to demonstrate what they could have done differently or what they could do next time.
In addition, it is vital to compliment and praise your child when they did something right or used their knowledge of sharing when interacting with a friend. Your child is likely to continue to play nicely and share during future playdates or with their siblings if they know that they did the right thing or know that you are proud of them for their actions.