Teaching kids to share

[visitor1]

I need a bit of advice or help in regards to DD1.

Now that Jasmine is a bit older and is beginning to hold onto things Chelsea is turning in to a nasty non sharing child!

I give Jas something to hold/play with and the minute i do Chelsea snatches it from her and runs away. It does not matter that she was off playing with something, but because Jasmine is playing she automatically thinks that she wants needs to play with what Jasmine has.

Chels just hates seeing Jas have fun (so it seems). No matter how many times i say No Chelsea Jasmine was playing with that first, you must share. She does not understand. So i get on the floor and play with both at the same time but it still happens.

Poor Jas can never have fun when Chelsea is at home (as opposed to her being at FDC) or unless she is in bed.

Help!

What can i do to get Chelsea to play fairly....i know she is only 15 months but she needs to share....

[rosehannah]

Hi there, Chelsea is at a difficult age where everything that is mine is mine and everything that is yours is mine. Distraction is the only thing I can think of, if you are going to give a toy to Jasmine give something to Chelsea and make a big thing of the thing you are giving her and play down the fact that you have given anything to Jasmine. If she takes a toy off Jasmine don't let her keep it. If she was a bit bigger I would have suggested getting Chelsea to give Jasmine a toy to play with, but I'm not sure if she would understand that.

[Zee]

Hmmm we have the same prob here when Laila has other kids to play with. She always wants what they are playing with

[MantaRay]

As RH has pointed out, this is normal behaviour for her age. Also, I found with Jack, that he is really good at sharing with other kids, but when Tom has something he does the same as Chelsea. I think it's a way of asserting his dominance in a sense, as the older brother.

We do a variety of things. We give Jack something else instead, we talk about sharing and point out that Jack plays with Tom's toys too, we ask Jack to give Tom a toy etc. All mostly work at the time but don't stop the behaviour. I think it's just a matter of repeating the fact that sharing is good and that taking toys away is not ok. Eventually it will sink in. I also try to ensure that Jack feels secure about his place in the family and that he doesn't feel like Tom gets more time or attention.

[visitor1]

MR....Chelsea is the same...will share with other kids no problems...but at home all the toys are hers..and none are Jasmines (according to miss C)!

I will just keep at it...she will learn eventually!

[meow]

I wouldn't be expecting her to share at that age- and I agree that her taking toys is also perfectly normal.

I'd maybe just say something like "Oh dear, what will Jas play with now? Can you find a toy for Jas?" and get her involved in giving things to her sister so it's a game and fun for her.

[Pandora]

i agree with everyone else, especially rens advice of trying to get her to choose a toy for Jasmine.

its different sharing with other kids who arent there all the time, and who she knows will come and go.