I was reading the most interesting perspective on toddlers and sharing the other day. This one mom in particular doesn’t teach her kids to share and here’s why: The preschool her child attends does not encourage sharing. Think this is crazy? Well hear me out…
“There is a sharing policy at my son’s preschool. It’s a parent-run co-op, so we have to have policies like this so that we will all handle situations relatively the same way. The policy is that a child can keep a toy as long as they want to. If another child wants the toy, they have to wait until the first child is done with it.”
If a child is playing with a toy, and another child wants to play with that toy, then he/she should wait their turn. She explains that the child should not get the toy simply because he wants it. As you become an adult you don’t get things because you want them, you get them because you work hard and show up. She goes on to say that, “I think it does a child a great disservice to teach him that he can have something that someone else has, simply because he wants it.”
This is a powerful statement, don’t you think? I mean when I really thought about it, it does make me slightly uncomfortable to make my children share with other children who decide they want that toy a minute after my child started playing with it. Do you all feel the same way? I would love to know your thoughts on sharing below in the comment box.
You can also read the article in full here. Photography by Rebecca Hansen from First Mate Photo
Interesting!!