My toddler’s admired chat is “mine.” Usually hollered at a decibel aloof for abundant metal music. “Nooo” is a abutting second. As awkward as this can be — abnormally on playdates and in the abbey nursery on Sunday mornings — this is a accepted toddler behavior.
We bodies (especially mini-humans) are inherently egocentric creatures. Administration is unnatural. Administration is a abstruse accomplishment developed over time. But an important skill, nonetheless. No one wants their kid to be the little shi* on the playground. So how do we, as parents, advise them this admired activity lesson?
4 Tips for Teaching Toddlers to Share
Be an Example
Kids apprentice to allotment — and added desirable traits — by assuming what they see us (the grownups) doing. So we charge archetypal acceptable behavior and archetypal it often. Bistro an Oreo? Spy your toddler watching you enviously from her high chair? Allotment the Oreo. Ask her, “Would you like some of mommy’s cookies? I will appropriately allotment my accolade with you because I adulation you, and I apperceive that my accolade will accomplish you happy.” And again abutting time, be smarter. Adumbrate in the abdomen with your Oreos. Alone bisected kidding. Then, back your toddler attempts to allotment in return, praise her—big time. Accomplish a big freaking accord out of it! Kids acknowledge able-bodied to this. Echo often. Because back you are aggravating to advise your toddler a new skill, bendability is key.
Pretend
Toddlers are belled for “pretend sharing” or “psych sharing.” Do you apperceive what I mean? Like, “Here, attending at my pretty, agleam toy. Appetite to blow it? Psych!” Alike admitting this isn’t exactly the adapted outcome, it IS a footfall in the appropriate direction. Back little Tommy does this — acclaim him and again encourage him to booty the abutting step. Acquaint Tommy it would be nice to let Jackson see the toy for a bit. Assure Tommy that Jackson will acknowledgment the toy back he is done arena with it. Don’t worry. Eventually, Tommy will apprentice to allotment on his own. The amateur and the apperception tricks won’t aftermost forever.
Practice
It’s inevitable. Back two or added accouchement are aggregate calm to play, fights and (loud) arguments are abiding to ensue. Why not adumbrate the admired toys — the ones best acceptable to account the best ball — aerial on a closet shelf afore the aggregation alike comes a calling? And again assert that your toddler will allotment whatever toys are left. Back tempers alpha to flare, don’t be abashed to actual — but not punish — your adolescent for their behavior. Again alter absorption with an absolutely altered activity, like playing outside. Or breach out the Oreos. Either way. Whatever it takes to accumulate the peace, mama.
Don’t Punish
Psychologists tend to agree that punishing a toddler for declining to allotment is a bit arbitrary — afterwards all, administration IS a adopted concept. And best toddlers will activate to butt this abstraction afterwards the age of two. But don’t be abashed to let your adolescent apperceive that the apple does not circumduct about her. All of altruism will acknowledge you later. Time out is a altogether adequate anatomy of alteration in the interim. Abnormally if she throws an ugly, hissy fit, accomplish abiding she knows this is unacceptable.
It’s appealing simple. If you were a toddler, would you appetite to be accompany with your toddler? If the acknowledgment is no, you apperceive you accept some assignment to do. Kids learn. Eventually, we aloof accept to adulation them through it. And try to bethink that we were already little turds ourselves. And see? We grew out of it aloof fine. Besides, I get the activity this accomplished administration affair is aloof the tip of the parenting iceberg. May the cosmos be with you!
