This is another little something I discovered quite by accident. My friends and I had the same complaints about our little darlings: They didn't like to share. As is typical for me, I began to consider our problem. Asking our kids to share resulted in tantrums or rude words. That didn't seem right. Forcing the kids to share or "play nicely" seemed all wrong too. We did want them to play respectfully with each other, but forcing them to do so didn't seem like it would instill that desire within them. It seemed more like teaching them to resent the other child for interferring with their play.
My own kids were playing together and the sharing war ensued complete with tears. It was then, that I turned to one of them and said, "It is your turn now. When you are done, your brother would like a turn." Silence...no tears...simply agreement. Keep in mind these kids were around one and three. It was magic! I tried it a few times over the course of the day. It worked every time. I tried it at playgroup. Success!
Ever since then, the term "sharing" has been nearly banned from my vocabulary as a parent. We now use "taking turns". It works with every age group from baby to nearly 11-year-old. Try it!
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