As a parent, one of the issues I struggle the most with is sharing. Emma and Sarah have huge sharing issues between each other. With us, they’re great. They will almost always share something with a parent. But it’s a different story when they’re playing together.
Our solution so far has been to buy duplicates of smaller things: two balls, two cookies, two pencils, two notebooks… But it can’t go on like this forever.
I have to deal with the arguments EVERY DAY. It’s really annoying to listen to the IT’S MINE, I WANT IT, NO I WANT IT, NO I WAAAAAANT IIIIIIIIT on and on and on day after day after day. It’s exhausting. Fellow parents, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
Emma tries to bargain: “if you let me play with the horse I will lend you this *other* horse for two days.” She’s becoming lawyerlike about it whereas Sarah just cries and hides under the table if it doesn’t go her way.
At what point will the sharing gene kick in? How does one referee these kinds of arguments? Or is it just better to ignore it and let them work it out? I’m at a loss. And feeling too drained to deal with it anymore.
