How To Teach Your Children About Sharing
Sharing is essential to living harmoniously in society. It doesn’t mean just material things; sharing our emotions makes us kinder and more empathetic to others.
That’s why teaching your children the importance of sharing is key, and the lesson will stay with them throughout their lives.
Why Is Sharing Important?
Sharing is a fundamental value for your children to learn because it helps them get along with others and teaches about compromise, fairness, and empathy.
Of course, when a child is learning to share, they mostly learn through sharing material objects such as toys or sweets or other little but essential gestures like waiting for their turn to play or speak. But even in these moments, your kids learn how to make friends, respect other people and negotiate.
Kindness is part of sharing, but it also symbolizes that we don’t always get what we want, and that’s okay. It helps children learn how to deal with their frustration while enhancing tolerance skills.
Tips To Teach Your Children About Sharing:
As children grow, they start learning a lot of new things. One of them is how to share common spaces, items, and even emotions. Here are some tips on how to help your children learn about sharing:
- Explain To Them About Sharing: Talk to your children about how beneficial it is for them and how positive it is for their relationships. For example, “See, you shared your cookies with Mike, and now he’s sharing his juice with you! Everyone’s happy.”
- Praise Them: If you see your children sharing their toys or food, waiting for their turn to play, or having kind gestures with another child or adult, praise them to let them know that those attitudes are positive. You can try saying something like, “It was so nice that you shared your toy with Maria. She seemed very happy.”
- Show Them Not To Expect Anything In Return: Sometimes, we share with other people who don’t have the opportunity to give back, and that’s okay. Your children must learn that sharing is a selfless act that we do for love and respect. It should be enough with a “Thank you very much.”
- Teach Them To Be Grateful: When someone shares something with us, the most important thing is to value the gesture and thank the person for their time and dedication. Your children must recognize these moments to be able to appreciate them properly.
- Play Games That Involve Sharing: Play games with your children that involve turn-taking or sharing toys. This will help them understand the importance of being patient and respecting others.
The Toley Ranz Foundation is committed to helping parents, caretakers, teachers, and children to live healthier and kinder lives. We consider the value of sharing essential to avoid bullying and harassment situations and raise respectful and considerate children.
