When your children won’t share with each other, it can sometimes put added stress on the family. There are sometimes arguments between siblings that can often result in parents taking the side of one child or the other. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can help your children learn how to share so that they will understand the concept when they are older as well.
The Living Environment
From a young age, you can let children of the same gender share a bedroom. This will allow them to design their own personal space while also learning how to share pieces of bedroom furniture such as bunkbeds that are common between them, such as a chair or a desk that is used for homework when they are in school. Sharing a bedroom also gives children an opportunity to understand how much space they should have for their clothing and shoes as well as their toys and any accessories that are used to decorate the walls or shelves.
Model Behavior
If you expect your children to share with each other, then you need to demonstrate this behavior in the home as well as with the other adults and children in the home. Make it a point to share food with others or to share items that friends or family members might need or ask for, such as a baking dish or a cookbook. When your children see that it’s alright to share with other people, then they will begin to understand that this is a good decision to make.
Make It Fun
Sharing doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be fun, especially if you know that you’re going to get your items back and if you know that you can get things that you enjoy from other people. Play a game with the family by giving everyone a candy bar or a bag of candy except one or two people. When your children begin eating, teach them that it would be nice to share what they have with their siblings and the other people in the room who don’t have a treat.
Set a Time
A way to demonstrate the importance of sharing and how long each person should keep the item is to use a timer. You can set the timer to music or set it so that it makes a sound after a few minutes is over. Give a toy to one child, set the timer or song, and let the other child have the toy when the length of time is over.
Sharing can be a challenge for any age. If you teach your children how important it is to let other people have some of the things that they have when they are young, then these values will likely be carried over into adulthood. Make sharing fun instead of demanding that your children share because they might not see the meaning behind it if they are forced.
Great post. I struggle with this. My son is an only child, but he constantly argues with his cousin over toys every time he spends the night.