Children's Refusal To Share And Take Turns

 

Children's refusal and unwillingness to share or take turns is a common behaviour observed in various cultures and societies, globally. Once children exhibit the traits of possessiveness or resistance to sharing, it can be a sign of underlying issues, including egocentrism, attachment to objects of interest, or difficulty with social skills. Understanding the reasons behind this awkward behaviour is crucial for developing effective strategies to promote sharing and turn-taking.

One of the primary reasons children refuse to share or take turns is egocentrism, a natural stage of cognitive development where children focus principally on their own needs and desires alone. At this stage of development, children may struggle to consider others' perspectives or feelings, leading to possessiveness and resistance to sharing and generosity. For example, a child may become attached to a particular toy or object of interest, and feels that it is his/ her own alone, making it challenging to share it with others. 

Another reason children may refuse to share or take turns is difficulty with social skills, including communication, empathy, and cooperation. Children may struggle to understand and respond to others' needs, leading to conflicts and possessiveness. In some countries across the world, children may be encouraged to prioritize individual needs over collective needs, which can immensely contribute to traits of possessiveness. In contrast, other cultures may persistently emphasize sharing and cooperation, which can help children develop these skills more readily.

To promote sharing and turn-taking habits, parents and caregivers can model and teach social skills, such as, empathy, communication, and cooperation. By encouraging children to consider others' feelings and needs, parents and caregivers can help them develop essential life skills, including sharing, generosity, and kindness. For example, parents and caregivers can use role-playing to teach children how to share and take turns, or engage them in activities that promote cooperation and teamwork. In some countries, such as Japan, schools curriculum emphasize social responsibility and cooperation, which helps children develop sharing and turn-taking skills. In Japan, children are encouraged to work together, share materials, and prioritize group needs over individual needs. This approach can help children develop a sense of community and social responsibility, reducing conflicts and possessiveness. What would the global society look like if children are not taught about sharing and turn-taking? It means that there would be no orderliness in the banking halls, airports, offices, supermarkets, seaports, garages, schools and universities, army cantonments and barracks, churches, farms and others. If the habit of sharing is thrown overboard and trampled under the feet, it means that the global society will cease to help people who are in need. Lives hanging in the balance will perish if the habit of sharing dies a natural death! 

In addition to modeling and teaching social skills, parents and caregivers can use various strategies to promote sharing and turn-taking. For example, they can set clear expectations and rules, provide opportunities for children to practise sharing and cooperation, and offer positive reinforcement for sharing behaviours. By praising and rewarding children for sharing and turn-taking, parents and caregivers can encourage positive behaviours and reduce possessiveness.

In conclusion, children's refusal to share and take turns is a serious issue to the world that requires an urgent approach to address it effectively. A person who is possessive is stingy, greedy, self-centred, inconsiderate, and always insatiable. Is it not so? If the President of a country is possessive, what do you think will be the fate of that country? Obviously, his character of possessiveness will drastically affect the citizens of that country. He will influence the Senate (Legislature) to promulgate draconian policies that will not sit well with the citizens. His regime or tenure will make people uncomfortable. In the same vein, a child who can never patiently wait for his own turn to receive or do anything is bound to be impatient, impulsive, and a hasty climber that is vulnerable to a sudden fall. He is such a bundle of anxiety. If children are not taught about sharing and turn-taking, such children will become very terrible if they find themselves at the corridors of power in their countries! By promoting sharing and turn-taking, parents and  caregivers can help children develop positive relationships, reduce possessiveness and conflicts, and become more empathetic and cooperative individuals who are useful to the world.

Please, kindly share this post with your friends and loved ones. Thank you very much.