Learn To Share

It takes time to teach children how to share. Sharing is difficult for children to understand as they can neither see nor touch this concept. Often, children put their own needs before others, but can learn to share if they are taught to do so from a young age. Here are five ways to teach children to share:

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Make a conscious and deliberate effort to demonstrate to children how to share, through daily activities. You can share an apple with your child, a piece of cake or even toys. By doing so, the child learns that sharing is fun and makes another person happy.

CREATE A SHARING CULTURE AT HOME

Children are very observant and like to emulate what others are doing. When your child sees you sharing with your spouse, siblings, friends and visitors, sharing becomes natural to him because he sees it daily in his own family.

DEVELOP A CARING ATTITUDE

When you see him sharing with family or friends, offer a compliment for what he has done. Affirmation and acknowledgement of their good behaviour will reinforce their sharing and turn-taking actions.

Teaching children to share and care for the less fortunate is another way to inculcate a sharing mind-set among children. Go through items in the house that are of good condition, and decide with your child which ones they would like to pass on to charity. Festive holidays such as Christmas are also good opportunities to inculcate the spirit of giving and sharing in children. Bring your child to a toy store to pick a gift and have him/her take it to one of the children’s charities.

Hee Onn Nah & Dora Phoon
Principals
NTUC Childcare