Top Tips for Teaching Children How to Share

Learning to share is one of the most important skills to teach your child from a young age. Sharing will help them develop strong social bonds and prepare for school, as they will be encouraged to share toys, books, stationery and more. It will also help them to become kinder, more compassionate people in the future, which is something all parents and guardians want for their little ones. 

Here we share our top tips for teaching your child how to share and encouraging such positive social behaviours.

Practice when playing at home 

The next time you sit down to engage with your child’s playtime, make it clear to them that you want to have a go with the toys he or she is playing with. Practice passing the toys back and forth so that you both get to take a turn, and make sure you don’t give in to their demands if they start crying or trying to snatch the toy back.

Set boundaries

Make sure you incorporate sharing into your child’s playtime routine as much as possible. Whenever they are playing with friends, encourage them to share by passing the toy back and forth between the two. If your child makes a fuss or refuses to share, take the toy away and keep it out of reach. This will show them that failing to share something will result in them not having access to it at all.

Reward them for good behaviour 

When your child does share, make sure you reward them for their good behaviour. Praising them vocally is a great place to start; make sure you show them how proud you are of their behaviour by pointing out how happy you have made them and the child they shared their toy with. Over time, they will soon realise that sharing their belongings is a positive thing. 

At Sandfield Day Nursery, based in Nottingham, we are proud to assist children of six weeks to five years with the development of important social skills, such as sharing. Our nursery facilities are a safe and stimulating environment for children to enjoy and are run by a team of compassionate and qualified childcare staff. For more information about our nursery services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at Sandfield Day Nursery today.