My child lashes out at school when they have to share - how can we help them practise sharing at home?

"For many children, sharing is emotionally loaded. We like to think it is a simple skill that we can teach our children sometime in their preschool years. And it can be. But it can also be a real challenge, especially when a child has little opportunity to practise the skill."

"A parent recently asked how to help their seven-year-old only child, who is lashing out in school when something is taken from him. This is exactly the sort of problem that can get misread. Adults can easily see it as selfishness, or poor behaviour, or a child who needs to learn to share."

Sharing is often viewed as a simple preschool skill, but it carries significant emotional weight for many children. What appears as selfishness or poor behavior may actually reflect anxiety about losing control. A child who lashes out when possessions are taken may not be refusing to share but rather experiencing distress from unpredictability. Adults frequently misinterpret these reactions as behavioral problems requiring discipline. Understanding that sharing involves emotional vulnerability allows caregivers to create structured, predictable situations where children can practice turn-taking in safe environments that build trust and gradually reduce their anxiety about relinquishing control.

Read at Independent