How to Teach Your Child the Importance of Sharing

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Kids are naturally selfish. They want to have all the fun without having to share their toys. This is completely normal. However, you can help your child overcome this natural trait by following these tips:

Lead by example

You must set a good example for your child because children learn from your actions and not your words. Let her know when you share things with others around you to help her understand how important it is.

Encourage good behavior

Always praise your child when she shares with others, this encourages sharing. Compliment the child for being a good sharer as this will make her want to share again in the future until it becomes a habit.

Arrange playdates

Playdates are perfect avenues for sharing and helping kids develop social skills. Kids without siblings also benefit more from playdates because it gives them opportunities to work on the sharing skills.

Prevent conflict

Kids love to play with the same toy always, and this may cause fights when one doesn’t want to share. Prevent such conflicts by having two of each if you have two kids. This may seem like a more expensive option, but it helps to solve the problem at hand.

Teach them to take turns

When kids are up to 3 years old, supervise their play sessions and allow them to take turns playing with their toys. Kids below three may not do so well in this aspect.