You should stop teaching your kids to share, because – well – nobody shares.
We don’t.
I mean, think about it.
- We admonish our kids to share toys with their siblings.
- We shame our kids when they don’t want to share their birthday cookies with their friends.
- And we force our kids to share their diving toys with strangers at the pool.
But adults don’t do any of this.
- Can you imagine the look I would give if someone thought I should share a few bites of my turkey sandwich at work? Or, if I would share my Coke at a picnic?
- There is no expectation that you would let an acquaintance borrow your car for the weekend, is there?
- And your sister-in-law would be insane to ask you to share your Christmas bonus, amiright?
Teaching sharing is stupid because we shouldn’t be telling our kids to do something that we don’t do ourselves.
Let’s teach charity (giving) instead.
For while sharing is about fairness and equity (whatever that means to million different people)…
Charity is about love and kindness.
Plainly: Giving is not expecting something back.
I want my kids to want to give:
- a dozen flowers to someone they know that is sad
- five hours of their week to a church or cause that they believe in
- cookies to their class because they felt generous
- ten percent of their income to charity
You too?
Stop teaching fairness and sharing – teach love and giving instead.