Teach your Child about Feelings - Sharing

"Children's understanding of their emotions, their ability to talk about them, and their ability to read the emotion signals of others provide them with some very valuable skills that not only affect their personal and social adjustment but their academic performance, as well.", by an American psychologist, Carroll Ellis Izard, also a Trustees Distinguished Professor of Psychology at University of Delaware.

I began teaching my daughter about feelings at her age of 6 months old. Feelings by Susan Canizare is her very first board book, given by her pediatrician. She loves it and even at this age, she will still get this book out and read.

Mark Pettinelli described emotion as unconscious thought and a feeling is like a conscious emotion because you can "feel" it better.  Therefore, feelings are faster than emotions and thought. We seldom mention the word "emotion" to young children, we rather ask "How do you feel today?"

I think it will be wise to teach your children about sharing after they've learned feelings and recognize their own feelings. Before turning 2, my daughter one day told me that she was sad because something bad happened to her and she refused to go there again. I'm impressed with her true understanding of sad after listening to her story.

Then, it comes the time when parents always hear "NO! No! NO!", "It's mine". Here, I recommend two great books to teach about sharing. Caillou It's Mine  by Chouette Publishing and It's Mine!by Leo Lionni.

Caillou was a Canadian children's television show based on the books by Christine L'Heureux and illustrator Hélène Desputeaux. This show is my daughter's favorite, broadcasted by both PBS Kids and Sprout Channels.

Caillou It's Mine uses a common everyday situation to describe children's feelings and to teach sharing. It's Mine! is a perfect choice for preschoolers! It tells about three selfish frogs bicker all day long. It's Mine! It's Mine! It's Mine! until a bad storm and a big brown toad help them realize sharing is much more fun.

There are lots of great children books in this topic, find them out and please share your experience with us.