08/29/2025
As a preschool teacher, I see and hear a lot of confusing language around these 2 skills. Often the words are used interchangeably or synonymously.
Did you realize they are completely different skills?
Did you also know that, developmentally, children are not fully capable of understanding the concept of sharing until about 4 to 6?
3 year olds will often use the word share to try and convince others to give up the toy they have to them, often indefinitely as their sense of time is not yet formed.
Focusing on taking turns first (for small amounts of time) will help build patience, self regulation, and cooperation. This is a developmental stepping stone for deeper skills.
This strategy builds a foundation for later, for understanding sharing as they already know how to wait instead of grabbing, communicate the details of the cooperation, and negotiate rules.
Whether your child has siblings or not, parents can support development by using the correct language in their interactions with their child.
The real work always happens at home.
