Encouraging Sharing Amongst Siblings: 3 Things To Try

Siblings can find it very hard to play nicely together. After all, when you feel like you have to compete for toys and you definitely don’t want an older or younger brother getting their hands on your favorite one, you’re going to find it hard to share and share alike! 

But that's where a bit of sharing encouragement comes in. As their parent, it’s best to set the scene for sharing from day one with a few key tips and tricks. And if you’d like some pointers on finding this balance, why not try these three ideas with your children and see if they help?

Take Part in Playtime Yourself

It’s often said that leading by example is the best way to get your kids to learn. As such, if you rarely take part in playtime between them these days, why not sit down on the floor with them and see how they get along?

Do you find that they behave a little better when you’re around? This might be a sign of a deeper root behavior problem, but we can focus on that later. 

For now, make sure you talk openly about sharing, and show them that it’s OK and even fun to share their toys and time with one another. If they follow suit and end up having a good time, be sure to praise them!

Don’t Single Anyone Out

Sharing isn’t usually a one child problem. It’s usually something they’ve learnt from being around others, or developed as a way to protect their share of their toys from being taken from them. Think about this as you try to develop this portion of your parenting strategy. 

What’s going on around your child to make them want to keep everything to themself, and even make them become aggressive when someone else tries to take part? When you notice this behavior at home, don’t single out your child, and don’t embarrass them in front of their sibling. Talk about it later, when things are calmer and you’re alone.

Talk to a Therapist

If your kids really struggle to share, and trying to encourage them to do so leads to fights and meltdowns, you may need to talk to a therapist and see what they can recommend. 

Say if your child has autism and struggles with social behavior. Seek help from ABA Autism Therapists to help your child build social skills when around their siblings. They may be able to learn that sharing is OK, non-harmful, and that involving their siblings in playtime is good and fun.

You might be a little hesitant to try this, but it may help your child to learn that sharing is a normal part of life. 

Sometimes siblings don’t get along, and while that’s OK when they’re out and about with their friends or at school, it can make homelife feel much more stressful than it needs to be. If you want your kids to share, try these tips out.