Should Parents Force Their Kids to Share? Here's What I Think... by Jill Ceder, LMSW, JD

Many parents force their kids to share, but this method can send a bad message. Instead, I feel parents should:

• Provide language and tools to handle situations. We should model patience and provide appropriate language to ask for a toy and accept the response if your kid has to wait his turn. 
• Teach kids to advocate. By teaching kids to ask kindly, advocate for themselves and work things out with other kids, we are teaching important life skills. If we are always jumping in, kids lose the ability to learn from the experience. 
• Encourage self-regulation. Children should be able to play freely, feel fulfilled by their experience and then be able to give the toy over when they are finished. This method encourages self-regulation, self-discipline and the ability to know when one is feeling satisfied. 

Teaching your child how to ask for a turn, how to to wait and how to take turns is a learning experience. So what do you think?