10 Items Kids Find Almost Impossible to Share

One of the lessons that parents do their best to pass along to their children is the importance of sharing. Like anything else when it comes to kids, even the strongest efforts are met with varying degrees of success; some children simply will not share. Others are generous by nature and eager to share with their friends, but there are some things that even they won’t consider sharing. Here are ten of the things that even the most giving children have trouble sharing.

1. Affection – Even the most standoffish child will suddenly become an ace snuggler when they see an adult that’s important to them being affectionate to another child. These displays often make children irrationally jealous; most kids can’t stand to share the affection of a parent or caregiver.
2. Comfort Objects – There are certain things in every small child’s life that give them comfort an a sense of security. Whether it’s a teddy bear or a blankie, these things are generally off limits for other kids.
3. Attention – Some kids are little hams, putting on a show for the entire room. Others might be happier with the attention of just one or two people; either way, the attention of the people they care about it something that almost all kids find it difficult to share.
4. Bedrooms – Parents with older children that share a room know that it’s an almost-constant battle. Sharing their personal space with anyone, even a sibling, can become so grating that kids explode; temper tantrums from children who share a room are anything but rare.
5. Favorite Foods – Whether it’s a throwback to a time when obtaining food was more difficult or simply a quirk, almost all kids have trouble sharing when it comes to their favorite food.
6. Toys – Usually the first experience that toddlers have with sharing is when parents urge them to be generous and take turns with a favorite toy. In the early days of explaining the concept, most little ones will have trouble understanding; for some that trouble never quite goes away.
7. Bathrooms – Tweens and teens that share a bathroom are likely to spend more time at war than getting along; constant complaints about grooming habits and long showers will, more often than not, spiral into all-out battle.
8. Television – Once upon a time, there were three channels; kids didn’t argue about what to watch too often, because there weren’t any choices. Fast-forward to the present, and most families have cable packages that include hundreds of channels, not to mention gaming systems and DVD players. With so many different options and kids’ disparate tastes, sharing a television is no easy task.
9. Clothes – There are few things that will inspire a tantrum like hand-me-down clothing. At a certain age, kids begin to positively loathe the idea of sharing clothes with a sibling. By the teen years, arguments over clothes borrowed without permission begin.
10. Teachers – Younger siblings learn to dread the moment when a teacher asks if they’re “so-and-so’s” brother or sister. Having behavior, grades and learning style all compared to a sibling can be nerve-wracking, leading to resentment.

A Harvard University study suggests that kids who witness their parents being generous to one another and sharing have an easier time grasping the concept and applying it without the help of an adult. The same study also showed that older children who witnessed stingy behavior between their parents were more likely to exhibit the same reluctance to share themselves; as with many other childhood lessons, sharing is mostly learned by modeling and discussion.

Taken From Babysitters