Mine…no MINE!
We haven't ever heard THAT said before, have we? Of course not! But if we are honest with ourselves, chances are that we can remember a time or two that we said it during our childhood. Be honest…I won't tell. After all, I, too, can vividly remember many times. One time, I invited my teddy bears, bunnies, stuffed animals, and coveted doll to my tea party. My sister decided my doll didn't need to be part of my elaborate festivity and was whisked away for another adventure.
You may recall I grew up with 4 siblings, so yours, mine often became ours, but not without a few choice tantrums.
Learning how to play fair and being kind and respectful is a must at this stage of development and is an essential social skill that 1–4-year-olds are exposed to with others their age at school, during playdates, or with their siblings.
As we approach Thanksgiving, if there is a toddler in the house, there is a good chance that their cooperating and sharing skills may be challenged. You may have noticed that the test began during Halloween trick or treating. The popular candy in your siblings' bowl and not yours… Mine. Thanksgiving, who will get the window seat as we drive to Grandmother's house or sit on mommy's lap…Mine. This challenge continues even to Christmas. That is another 30 days of Mine…Mine…Mine.
So, what can we do to help them stay on the development track? After all, at this point, they can walk, talk, and explore. They are somewhat independent throughout the day, so we know they can understand. We can help them settle down and help them retain what they started to learn by cooperating and sharing.
Here are a few ideas that might be fun for both of you:
· Giving – even with only a few short years under their belt, there are probably a few clothes they have outgrown and are sitting in the back of the closet. Maybe there are "baby" toys sitting in the toy box that are often overlooked. Work together and sort through what could be donated. As they are making decisions on what should stay and what should go, share with them why this is an important and lifelong activity that should take place. If they struggle to understand the why, the book Socks for Christmas by Andy Andrews will give a touching, funny and heartwarming explanation.
· Follow the Leader – A simple game packed with learning opportunities. The rules are simple: It starts with a child chosen to be the leader; then, the rest of the kids line up behind the leader. They must copy all the actions and movements of the leader (run, jumping jacks, clapping, whatever the leader does, they do. If someone doesn't successfully copy a move, they are out. The leader in the next round is the last child still following at the end.
· Role-play - Kids love to pretend. One easy, fun role-play is to take on a role of a person or animal and act out a scenario. Some ideas:
o Act out what the other person might feel when someone takes something away from them.
o Young kids are fascinated with superheroes. They could pretend to be a superhero and what they would do to make the sad child happy without getting the item back.
o Act like mommy and daddy and act out how they would handle the situation.
These are just a few role-play topics you can try to introduce, but there are ideas everywhere around us. The only limit is your imagination. As they walk in someone else's shoes, they learn empathy and develop insight into how people act and feel.
Let's play games that are easy to follow and have a lesson embedded in them, and are surrounded by lots of fun.
Happy Thanksgiving.
