Sharing; It’s part of everyday life and an essential social skill. However, for young children, sharing is a skill that must be taught and modeled and can sometimes be hard to understand. You can be proactive in helping your children learn to share and take turns so that it becomes easier as they get older.
Start modeling sharing early on: When playing with your child, talk about sharing. Let them play with the toy you had or have a bite of your banana. Encourage them to share with you in return, rolling a ball back and forth, or asking for a piece of their cracker. Model sharing when playing with siblings as well, or with your spouse. Let your child see everyone taking turns and sharing nicely.
Have realistic expectations: Don’t expect your child to just hand their toy over every time. It’s something that takes practice. Praise them for giving someone else a turn or sharing. Talk about how it made their brother smile when they shared their blanket or made their sister laugh when they tossed the ball.
Prepare for transitions: If you know your child doesn’t want to give up a toy, prepare them for when their turn is over. It could be five more pushes of the button or three more swings and then it’s someone else’s turn. You could set a timer as well so they know when the timer goes off, it’s time to pick something else to play with.
Keep practicing and being a positive role model to reinforce appropriate social skills such as taking turns and sharing. If you’re concerned about your child’s development, have them evaluated at PediaPlex for social skills training. This can identify their strengths and areas for improvement so that a treatment plan can be created if necessary to support their development. PediaPlex provides comprehensive therapies to help your child thrive.
Are you concerned about your child’s development and skills? Contact PediaPlex for an evaluation and to see how we can support your child’s success.
