Good Morning,

There are so many great things happening in class! Your children are learning so much about themselves, their environment, and their world. As caregivers to young children, there is so much that we can teach them and so much to learn. However, there are some things that we as adults expect children to understand that they are not yet developmentally ready to comprehend. 

Sharing is one of those concepts that is not yet understood until about 

2 1/2 to 3 years old. It can be difficult to handle a situation where your child or another child is upset because something they wanted was taken from them, or was unavailable to them when they wanted it. This is natural. Children do not yet have the language to express how they are feeling, so they cry, yell, or throw something. This is typical! It's hard to stay calm when you are in the middle of Target and your child is throwing a tantrum, but just know that this is all part of learning for children. 

So what do you do? Even though your child may not be able to comprehend sharing, taking turns, or saying sorry, you can still help them learn before the age of 2 by giving them several positive opportunities to experience turn-taking in your routines at home and in the community. This article from ZeroToThree.org gives some tips on how to practice turn-taking and decrease conflict in your child's relationships with others. One thing they suggest is taking turns with your child turning pages when reading a story. 

It is also important to understand that children will be children and that's OK! Stay calm, and positively redirect to something different to minimize the conflict. 

Have a great week, and stay safe and warm!

~Kristina