“Sharing is caring,” as the old saying goes, but while most of us adults understand this, our children usually don’t. We often struggle to teach them the value of sharing, especially when it comes to their most prized objects—their toys and stuffed animals.
However, sharing is a vital life skill, and one that we need to teach our children while they’re still young. Here’s how:
Taking turns
The best way to introduce the concept of sharing to your child is by teaching them to take turns. If you force a child to share by taking their toy away permanently, they’ll associate sharing with something negative. Instead, by taking turns, your child will be without their toy for a shorter amount of time, teaching them that giving something away doesn’t mean they’re without it forever. To make it fairer, set a timer on your phone so that each child has the toy for an equal amount of time.
Be a role model
Our children learn most of their behaviors from us. That means if you’d like them to value sharing, you, too, have to share with others. Practice sharing not only with friends and strangers, but also with your child to drive the point home.
Praise positive behavior
It’s easy to scold bad behavior, but many parents often forget to praise good behavior when it happens. If your child just willingly shared one of their toys with a friend or sibling, use descriptive praise to let them know how happy you are. Our children want our approval, and praising their good behavior will make them want to repeat that behavior in the future.
If your child has received a stuffable animal from The Zoo Factory, make sure that they let other children in on the fun by sharing their new toys with their friends and family! For more tips, look through our site or contact us today.
