Teach Your Child the Importance of Sharing

For parents with very young children, it can often seem like your child's favorite word is "Mine!" But learning to take turns and share what we have with others is an important life skill that everyone must know. The top schools in Orlando have some advice on how you can teach your child about the importance of sharing and cooperating with others.

The Value of Sharing
Imposing rules on your child and scolding her for breaking them can backfire if she doesn't understand why it is important to follow the rules. Take the time to talk to your child about why sharing and taking turns is the right thing to do. It's best to do this before sharing mistakes happen, rather than after your child has grabbed something out of her sibling's hand or screamed at her friend for taking a toy. Explain to her that sharing is a way to show love and compassion towards others. Sharing helps make other people happy, and that makes the person who shared feel good, too. When she is having trouble remembering to share, you can gently remind her of these truths about sharing instead of simply telling her, "Stop grabbing!"

Model Behavior
The best way for children to learn social skills is by watching the people around them. Because of this, you should model sharing and turn-taking behaviors at home. When you do so, explain what you are doing. Share a snack with your child, and tell her, "Let's share this granola bar. I'll have some, and you can have some." By performing these behaviors and describing them to your child, you can show her how to initiate sharing behaviors when she's interacting with others.

Practice Makes Perfect
Once you have properly modeled what sharing looks like, try to create opportunities for your child to practice sharing behaviors. Set up playdates with other children and give them toys to take turns playing with. When you observe good sharing behaviors in your child or another child, be sure to praise them for making the right choice. Even if your child doesn't share well, a supervised playdate where she can play and socialize with other children will help her develop those skills. Just like any other skill your child will learn, practicing sharing will make it easier for her to do it on her own.

For more than 50 years, schools in Orlando have been helping children grow to their fullest potential and become leaders within their communities. We offer unique and dynamic learning environments that engage students and encourage them to become confident and responsible adults. To learn more about what makes us different, contact us today.