Fred Rogers Timeless Wisdom
Sharing ______
“Sharing seldom comes easily to young children. To them, “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine.” It’s not that they are selfish. It’s something they need to learn developmentally. It just means that it takes a long while to be able to share.” - Fred Rogers
Why is sharing so hard?
There are a few concepts that young children need to cognitively understand before they really “get it.” Sharing means you get it back. Young children don’t understand what sharing means. If you ask them to share something, they think you are taking it away from them. They don’t know they will get it back. They need to be able to see a situation from another person’s point of view. They have trouble thinking about what someone else wants — they think about what they want. They need time to cognitively understand that when people share, everyone has more to play with, more things to enjoy. Another concept is that no one has to share everything. There are some special things that are just ours alone—not only things but thoughts, too---and thoughts are for sharing only when and if we want to share them.
As adults in the lives of young children, we need to trust that when children have learned these things, witnessed others sharing, and know that we expect them to share, that ability to share will come. Here are some ways you can help children grow in their ability to share: Let children have certain things that others don’t touch or take without first asking them for permission. Talk with children about things that you share, like tools, ideas, love. Plan some one-on-one time each day with each child. How children feel about sharing things may be related to how they feel about sharing adult attention. Set a timer for taking turns. That helps children trust that when they give up a toy, they will get it back after a certain time. Strategy Song: You can take a turn, and then I’ll get it back.
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood closely parallels the gentle tone and emphasis on social and emotional strategies that made Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Fred Rogers a TV icon. Fred’s creativity and innovation continue to thrive in 21st century TV. Teachers and parents will enjoy revisiting his messages with a new generation of characters. www.pbskids.org/daniel 1 © The Fred Rogers Company