Should Your Child Share Their Belongings with Others?
“Sharing means caring.” We hear this phrase all the time and direct it towards our children. But is this behavior correct from the perspective of psychological experts?
Experts told the Parents website that young children have no idea what sharing means and therefore cannot master something they cannot understand. Thus, they should not be asked to share, especially at a young age.
Experts emphasize that promoting sharing is important, but parents should wait until their child is mentally and emotionally ready to see sharing as an act of caring, not as a way of depriving them of their belongings or favorite toys.
Young Children Are Not Ready to Share
Experts point out that young children do not know they are separate and individual persons. They test this idea by developing a sense of ownership: “I own, therefore I am.”
When children hold on to their belongings or toys, they are not acting selfishly. Instead, they become scientists testing the hypothesis that they are individuals, and the world is their laboratory, as if the world belongs to them.
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Furthermore, young children do not yet understand that objects can belong to other people too and are not just theirs.
Additionally, young children do not yet have a “concept” of things. Therefore, giving up anything means giving it up forever. Even taking turns can be a significant mental confusion for them, especially as they have no sense of time.
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Finally, experts stress that a child may be ready to share their belongings when they reach the age of three, and trying to persuade them to share before this time can backfire, potentially prolonging their selfish behavior.
