9 Great Tips for Teaching Your Toddler to Share

Toddlers are, by nature, self-centered. Everything has been taken care of for her since you brought her home from the hospital as an infant.

When your child becomes a toddler and can begin to communicate, this is the perfect time to teach them the importance of sharing with others. It may take some time, but with continuity and positive reinforcement, your child will become very adept at playing with others!

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. If your toddler doesn’t want to share, explain why it’s an important thing.
2. Tell your toddler that not sharing may mean his friends will not want to share with him either.
3. Take the toys in question away. If your toddler doesn’t want to share – then no one will play with the toys.
4. Never yell at the toddler, but be firm in your reprimands.
5. If other toddlers are invited over, ask your toddler to pick out some toys to put away. But also remind him the toys left out can be shared with everyone.
6. If your toddler screams and carries on, give the toddler a time out.
7. Teach by example. Show your child how you are willing to share something you own.
8. Thank your toddler for sharing his toys with others.
9. Teach your toddler to think of others.

If all else fails remember this is probably a stage your toddler will outgrow. However, it is important to instill in your child that sharing and giving is important. Try not to give in to everything your toddler wants or buy your toddler a present every time you give another child or their sibling a present. Even though she is still very young, your toddler needs to understand the importance of the basic skill of sharing.