Teaching Your Only Child to Share: It's Not Easy, but Can Be Done

Parents of only children all face a similar challenge as their child grows up, teaching them how to share. This is something that takes some effort from the parent of an only child, but that effort is worth it. Encouraging interaction with other children is very important when you are the parent of an only child. This allows them to learn to socialize in a group and to share toys. Here are some tips I have found that worked with my son who is three years old now.

1. Get Your Child Involved In A Play Group At An Early Age- My wife and I had our son start visiting his cousins and playing with them when he was just six months old on a regular basis. This allowed him to learn early on that each of the children got to play with a toy. At six months old he was too young to understand the concept of sharing, but did learn that each child got a toy to play with by themselves.

2. Sign Your Child Up For Preschool- Preschool is a great place for your child to learn to share as he or she grows older. At school there will be teachers that will help foster an environment that encourages sharing. Teachers at a preschool are experienced with only children that are just learning to share with other children and interact with them.

3. Form A Playgroup For Your Child- Talk to other parents you know that have children. Those children don't have to be only children, but they can be as well. Organize a "play date" for the children every couple of weeks. Bring enough toys for each child to have one at first. As the children start to socialize and share toys by exchanging, start to introduce them to toys that more than one child can play with at once.

4. Share With Your Child Yourself- A young child that is an only child might have difficulty understanding the concept of sharing. They learn best by participating and watching. As a parent, play with your child. You play with one toy and let your child play with another. Then say "share time" and either trade toys with your child, or play with the same toy together.

5. Play With Older Children- If you have older children in your family that are patient, have your only child play with them. These children can help to teach your only child how to share. As a parent you can monitor the playing to ensure a sharing atmosphere occurs. Your only child will want to be just like the big kids and will start to learn how to share.

6. Take Your Child To Play Areas- Many times there are no toys in a play area but there are jungle gyms and other activities children can play on at the same time. By finding out that other children can use the same toy the he or she is using this will start to teach your child how to share.

7. Get Your Child Involved In Sports- As an only child gets older and is three or four years old, you can start to get them involved in organized youth sports teams. Sports will keep your child active and teach them about being part of a team. As part of the team your child will share equipment, and learn how to interact with other children.

8. Go On Vacations With Other Children- As a parent it is good to take your only child away from an area that is his or her comfort area from time to time. Parents will find that going on vacation with other children is a great opportunity to do this. As a parent you will find that your child enjoys sharing when he or she is having fun. A vacation is an activity where both the children and the parents can have fun sharing together. Build a sandcastle on the beach, play games on the boardwalk, share food at meals together, these are all activities as a parent that you can organize for your only child along with the other children on vacation.

9. Color With Your Child- Children love to color. Find a coloring book and several crayons. Sit down and spend time coloring with your child. Ask him or her if you can use the color crayon they are using, and offer to let him or her use the crayon you are using. By exchanging crayons you can start to teach the basic concept of sharing to your only child.

10. Play with Blocks- Get a large set of blocks and put it on the floor. Either you play with your child as a parent, or invite other children over to build with the blocks with your only child. Encourage the children to build a large tower together. By building something together, your child and the others will learn cooperation and sharing at the same time.

Sharing can be a tough concept for an only child to learn. As a parent you have to be proactive in arranging activities such as these that will encourage your child to share with other children. As your child is learning to share, make sure you reward them with praise and an occasional treat as well. If there are a group of children playing at your home, do not favor your own child. Praise all of them for sharing.