My youngest is 18 months and he’s neck deep in the tough toddler stage. I can see the frustration that he deals with since he can’t process his emotions well. Here are a few tips to help you teach your toddler to share. These have helped tremendously in our home.
To sum up the toddler stage: It’s as if your baby who was loving, caring and so sweet has now turned into a child who swears the universe revolves around them. While this can be a frustrating stage in parenthood, it’s completely normal. A toddler hasn’t yet learned to master the skills of expressing emotions, practicing empathy or even sharing with others.
How to Teach Your Toddler to Share With Other Children
Be a Role Model
I cannot stress this enough to parents who are looking to teach their toddler good sharing habits. A toddler looks to their parents first and foremost as their example. Be sure to share things with your family as often as possible so your toddler can see good sharing habits exhibited by their number one role model, you.
Host Playdates
It’s a great idea to teach your toddler sharing while you’re monitoring their interactions with friends. Talk to other parents and plan a playdate together. During this playdate use a timer that dings each time the toddlers are to exchange a toy. Using a timer as a sound to signify it’s time to exchange a toy will help encourage a little fun in sharing education.
Play Games
Enjoy a family game night once per week that involves some sort of game that requires sharing and taking turns. This could be a board game or a game of toss the ball. The simple act of rolling a ball back and forth to your toddler will help them comprehend how sharing is fun and beneficial for everyone involved.
Don’t Force Sharing
If your toddler is a little reluctant to exchange a toy with a friend during your playdate, refrain from forcing your toddler to share. Instead, sit down at their level and ask them questions. Find out why your toddler is having a difficult time releasing the toy to a friend and discuss this with them in a way that makes them feel as if sharing is a good idea and you’ll soon see they’ll share naturally.
Teaching your toddler good sharing habits isn’t going to be an overnight project. This part of your parenting journey may take quite some time, but eventually, your toddler will wake up one day and be fabulous at sharing with friends. Keep moving forward using my tips to reach your toddler good sharing habits and you’ll soon reap the benefits of your hard work.
Books To Help Teach Your Toddler to Share
Here are some of my favorite toddler books to help promote healthy sharing with other kids, all available from Amazon. We own these books and they helped with both of my boys. Even if your child shows signs of sharing nicely with other kids, it’s still nice to reiterate the concept through reading.
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