thoughts on sharing

it's another one of "those" weeks like i had a few weeks ago where every day is exhausting. some how between babysitting, teaching preschool, cheer practice/meetings, visiting teaching, primary program practice & performance, a cheer clinic, and football game, i have actually managed to keep up with the laundry and dishes {and it's wednesday!}...i can't hardly even do that on a slow week. 

so in the chaos of it all, like i said, i have been watching two sisters for a few days for a friend. that's where the sharing thoughts come in. 

let me just start off with saying that originally i came up with my "sharing policy" a while ago when i read this article. 

i thought it was genius and exactly how i felt about sharing with my own kids. but since kellen is still young i kind of make emma share sometimes just for the sheer fact of my sanity. 

but when a 7 year old and a 3 year old are added to the mix i sure am glad that i already had established my house rule on sharing. here's how sharing is handled at our house....

if someone is playing with a toy they do not have to give it up just because someone asks them to share. they do however have to be polite about it and say that then they are done playing with it then the other child may have a turn. 

once a toy is left on the ground then it is free for anyone else to pick up and play with. 

and my reasoning is just like the article says, "I think it does a child a great disservice to teach him that he can have something that someone else has,simply because he wants it."

now of course there are exceptions{aren't there always?}

when a child has to use the restroom they may bring me the toy to save it until they are done.

the same thing may also be done if i ask them to do something like eat dinner or do a chore.

this is simply because i don't want accidents or whining just because they are afraid they will lose the toy they are playing with.

and a few more parts i loved...

"It's hard, as with so many things about parenthood, but let's teach our kids how to cope with disappointment, because it happens. And we won't always be there to fix it for them. Let's teach them how they can get things they want through diligence, patience and hard work."

"...this is not how things work in the real world. In your child's adult life, he's going to think he's owed everything he sees. This is already happening in the next generation. I read a fascinating article about how today's teens and twenty-somethings are expecting raises and promotions at their jobs for reasons like, "I show up every day."

i'd love to hear what other "sharing policies" are being used and out there!