Sharing At Age 3:
Establishing the Territory
With me, Mom and Dad,
Negotiation is the key to communication.
To think that I will share all my toys,
Is a flawed expectation.
Before friends come over help me,
Decide the specific territory.
There are special toys I truly cherish.
Any attempt to allow others to play with,
Will cause a good time to perish.
What if someone went into your bedroom,
And played with your jewelry?
That's how I would feel
When someone invades my special toy territory.
Sometimes I will not want to share.
Talk to me specifically about why this wouldn't be fair.
Help me imagine myself in the other child's place,
And realize the challenge they will face.
For some of us at three, It's better, to at times meet friends,
On neutral territory*
From a younger sibling my toys I may grab,
Teach me to give an alternative toy,
When I am tempted to nab.
Remember sharing is a sign of caring,
A learned quality that makes you proud of me,
And learning this can be fun,
When establishing my territory.
Lester J. Hartman, MD
*For example, at playgrounds