Photo Credit: ryancr via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: ryancr via Compfight cc


The holidays are coming, and that means you could have a house full of family members soon. Often it can be hard on your child if other children are around and playing with all of their stuff.
It’s worth taking some time to prepare your child for holiday gatherings and let them know that they will have to be able to share their things with other kids. Preparing can help to avoid some major holiday meltdowns.
Here are three quick tips for preparing your child to share:

  1. Create an off-limits area. Allow your child to choose their most prized possessions and put them away somewhere no one else will have access to. This will make them feel like they have some control over the situation and that certain items are still all theirs. This will make it easier to share their other toys.
  2. Start off small. Ask your child to share small things with you, or with other people around the house. Ask them just to share it for a few minutes and then you will give it back. This will help them build up a “tolerance” for sharing, and they will learn that they will get their things back making it easier to part with them for a little bit.
  3. Have more than one. If you know your child will be part of a large group and sharing may be an issue try to get multiples of the same thing. For instance have multiple red bouncy balls, multiple toy cars or los of balloons — small things that they’ll al like.
    If there’s more than one, than everyone is happy. Also, having more than one of something makes it easier for children to let go of the one they have so someone else can use it since it’s more likely they can play with one of them again later.