How to Teach Kids to Be Fair

Do your kids fight over toys or food? Do they throw tantrums when they have to share or don't get their way? Are your kids hard to manage? This article will show you how to teach your kids to play fair and behave when they do not get their way.

BE FAIR: To teach your kids to be fair, you need to show them how. Show them by example that you do not always favor one child over the other or give extra's to one child that the other does not get. Many times when children fight, they are doing it to defend themselves, because they feel the other child is favored by the parents more than they are. This can lead to feelings of insecurity after time. Do not treat your children unfairly, always try to treat them equal whether they are the oldest, the youngest, or the middle child.

FIND A WAY: Figure out a way that you can eliminate fights between your children without favoring one over the other. One example, would be fighting over the front seat. All kids fight over who get to ride up front with mom. You can simply make them take turns. Keep a chart in the glove box to keep track of who's turn it is to ride up front. Another option would be to pick straws. For example, if you have two kids, keep a straw that has been cut in half in the console of the car. The straw will be cut in halves, but not even halves. Make one half shorter than the other half. Make sure the straws look the same from the top. Hold the straws in your hand so that the length cannot be determined. Each child will pick a straw and make a rule that the child who picks the shorter end of the straw gets to ride in the front. Let the children take turns every time on who picks their straw first. If you have three children, use three straw pieces and so on.

TEACH THEM FAIRNESS: If a child loses and does not get their way, teach them that they may will or get their way next time. Let them know that if they throw a tantrum or act in a bad manner, because of losing, that they will not get to take their turn next time or will not get to participate in the chance of winning. Give them a punishment for throwing tantrums if they don't get their way and stick to it.