Sharing is caring ???
It's Diwali time and I happened to witness two incidents which left me thinking for a long time.
In the first incident , there is a small girl of about 8 to 9 years old and she is riding her bicycle. She rides the bicycle in the evening and sometimes offers her bicycle to her friends so that they too can enjoy the ride. Such an innocent child. One day, I heard the Grandfather of this little girl instructing her to not allow her friends to ride the bicycle or else she will not be allowed inside the home. In short, he is telling her not to share her bicycle with anyone.
In the second incident, this same girl is enjoying Diwali by bursting crackers and her friends join her to enjoy it. One of her friend ignites her cracker and the mother of this little girl is watching all this from the gallery. Upon seeing the friend light up the cracker, she shouts loudly and scolds the little girl by asking her a question "Have we got these crackers for distribution?". Here again the little girl is taught that she should not share her crackers with anyone.
These two incidents made me think, "What are we teaching the kids? How will this impact the child in the future? "
Can you answer? What are we teaching the kids?
I feel, The emphasis on ownership of material possessions (bicycle, crackers) over the joy of sharing and celebrating with others may contribute to a materialistic mindset rather than fostering a sense of generosity and community.
Sharing is caring, and it is important to teach children the value of sharing and generosity. When we teach children to share, we are helping them to develop important social skills such as empathy, cooperation, and communication. We are also helping them to build a sense of community and belonging.
The first incident mentioned is a good example of how teaching children not to share can have negative consequences. The little girl in this story is clearly enjoying sharing her bicycle with her friends. However, her grandfather is telling her not to share, or she will not be allowed inside the home. This message is sending the girl the wrong idea about the importance of sharing. It is teaching her that sharing is not as important as her own personal possessions.
The second incident mentioned is another example of how teaching children not to share can have negative consequences. The little girl in this story is clearly enjoying sharing her crackers with her friends. However, her mother is telling her not to share, or she will get in trouble. This message is sending the girl the wrong idea about the importance of sharing. It is teaching her that sharing is not as important as her own personal safety.
Both of these incidents show how teaching children not to share can have negative consequences. It can lead to children becoming materialistic and selfish. It can also lead to children becoming isolated and lonely.
It is important to teach children the value of sharing and generosity. When we teach children to share, we are helping them to develop important social skills such as empathy, cooperation, and communication. We are also helping them to build a sense of community and belonging.
Give your children opportunities to share !!!
Encourage your children to share even when it is difficult !!!
