8 Tips to Teach Sharing

Do your playdates dissolve into nasty battles over every toy in the room? Then it's time for you to teach your child this important life lesson.

By Kellye Crocker Carter

Heather Weston

1 of 9

Tackle the Word "Mine!"

Next to "no," is there any other word more popular with 2- and 3-year-olds? Not only do they call their own stuff "mine," they see everything else as theirs too! "Gracie can be sitting in a sea of toys, but if I pick up one and give it to Jack, she wants it," Mary Ann sighs. "Why is it so hard for her to share?"

But that doesn't mean you can't help your child learn about sharing. In fact, it's up to you to help transform sharing from a meaningless concept into an everyday ethic. Just don't expect overnight results. Generosity and empathy -- the foundation of sharing -- are qualities that emerge over time, after repeated reinforcement, Dr. Tobin says. Here's how to speed the process along.

What do you think of this story? Tell Us.

1 of 9

Related Links