My son hates sharing! How can I teach my toddler to share?

Our (nearly) 3 YO is supposed to start daycare in a few weeks. He is pretty easy going compared to some children - not too picky or stubborn in most situations. The big issue we have right now though is that he hatesss sharing. My sister and her kiddos just moved down the street so he’s had a lot of cousin time all of the sudden (2 and 4 YOs). He’s not down for them to play with his toys at all. He hoards them and fully loses it if the other kids try to even touch his toys. How do we tackle before daycare starts?

1 Like 5 Replies

YE

Yael posted July 5, 2019

Ha, sounds like only child syndrome at its worst. He’s getting a crash course of what it’s like to have siblings all at once with his cousins (x2). He probably feels a little intimidated and protective of his things. It’s pretty normal and should improve on its own with more social exposure to other kids. Daycare will only help. 0 Likes

MC

Megan posted July 5, 2019

True that more interaction with other LOs will do wonders. You can also play with him (and the hoarded pile of toys) and use it as a chance to talk about sharing. Tell him how it makes you feel when your friends won’t share with you. Ask him how he would feel in that case. This is a good way to help him learn to consider the emotions and feelings of others - and how he wants to be treated. 0 Likes

LB

Leslie posted July 5, 2019

If asking him to imagine the feelings of others doesn’t work, you can actually take some of his toys and refuse to share with him. When he gets upset, explain that’s how his friends feel all the time. Don’t give them back right away and when you do, practice sharing scenarios again. Repeat as needed. 0 Likes

Jessica posted July 9, 2019

I found with my son, it was good to schedule a lot of playdates and then show him what happens when other kids had something he wanted to play with and what happens when the other child shares something he wants to play and how happy he was when it was shared with him. 0 Likes

LE

Lena posted July 9, 2019

Make sure to reward your child for good behavior! So important! 0 Likes