Anonymous wrote:There is a Daniel Tiger episode on sharing, and I had my children watch that, then practice singing the song and taking turns with their toys. Whenever they would forget, we would watch it again and practice some more. The song is "you take a turn, and then you give it back. I take a turn, and then I give it back." And once the kids understood that sharing didn't mean giving it up forever, they were actually very eager to share.

good point! they live so much in the moment it's hard for them to think about 15 minutes from now...

There is a Daniel Tiger episode on sharing, and I had my children watch that, then practice singing the song and taking turns with their toys. Whenever they would forget, we would watch it again and practice some more. The song is "you take a turn, and then you give it back. I take a turn, and then I give it back." And once the kids understood that sharing didn't mean giving it up forever, they were actually very eager to share.

I have the opposite problem - my kid will just watch another kid take his toy at the park and won't know what to do. He'll just look at me and eventually go to do something else.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure what the best approach is?

Depends on the situation. Have an example?

I don't teach sharing as much as I teach consideration for others and self-respect.

Nanny here. As the saying goes " sharing is caring" start teaching this really early on by asking them to share things with you. If kids are older just say take turn while timing it such as go on the slides twice and come back get it. If tantrums come on just take toy until they calm down then explain later on why you did that and next time to share. Also you can't expect a child to share if always playing alone so when at playground get them to play with others.

Don't bring it if you don't want to share it.

My approach is "don't be an asshole."

That means you don't take the greatest toy in the world to a playdate and then refuse to share. Just don't take it.

Don't sit with a pile of toys and claim them all for yourself for all time.

If the toys belong to the park, play space, church nursery, whatever, and there are other children, you don't have to share (as in, let them play while you're playing), but you do have to take turns. And that means you might not get to play with the toy as long as you'd like, because other people need a chance before it's time to leave. Those are community toys, not your personal property.

I've read the thing about the kid taking the action figures to the park and not sharing, but the punchline of that is HE DID SHARE, just with his friends, not a bunch of random people.

When my kids want to take toys where the situation is not 100% under my control, as in, I don't know how many kids will be there, I don't know the parents, I can't manage all play situations ... I warn them that things may get broken or disappear. I don't make them share, but I do tell them other kids may want to play with their stuff, and that they will have to be the ones to say no.

It's far easier to avoid these situations by, say, putting the action figures in a bag and taking them out when you are with the friends you planned to share with.

I'm not sure what the best approach is?