It Is Ok NOT To Share

This article is written by Maha Ghazale, a Play Therapist, a Circle of Security Parenting Facilitator and an Autplay Therapy provider ( specialized in Autism and Other developmental disabilities). Maha uses play as a therapeutic method to help kids with emotional and behavioral difficulties reach their inner potential. She also offers sessions for parents to help them learn new ways to connect with their children. You can follow her on Instagram at:  https://www.instagram.com/mahaghazale/

“Sharing is caring”. We generally hear ourselves say it when children fight over toys, food, or anything that sparks their attention or interest, but bear with me as I challenge this belief and say: It is ok NOT to share. 
Sharing things fall under the category of generosity- and I am all about nurturing it- However, the way we approach sharing is generally misleading. 
As a positive parenting advocate and a child therapist when a child is immersed in their play and forced to share, this child’s play is interrupted, and he or she are forced to give something up. The child is learning that sharing is annoying, and generally an unpleasant thing to do. When we impose sharing, the parents are the ones sharing, and not the child.

Imagine this scenario:
You are engaged in an art project. Suddenly someone comes up to you and asks to take the project from you and, therefore, disrupt your creativity, curiosity, and interest. How would it make you feel? 

It is our job to teach children about limits regarding other people’s space and to teach them patience when it comes to waiting for their turn. Let the child keep a toy until he is “all done.” 

Turn-taking ultimately is sharing. The key is that its child-directed turn-taking.: Instead of setting a time limit on using the toy, teach your child to use the following words: “I’ll give it to you when I am done.”
For the waiting child, this can be frustrating triggering few tears, or meltdowns- Do not let this discourage you, instead: 

Acknowledge: “I know you wanted this toy now.”

Communicate: 

• “Oh, I know it’s hard to wait.”
• “I understand/feel your frustration, or
• “You can be mad, but I can’t let you take it until X is all done.”

– Target: “You can choose another toy until X is done playing.”

It is our job to help children learn how to control behavior and feel safe to express intense feelings as we direct them towards ways to work through those emotions. 

Like any skill, the more practice the child gets, the more they will be able to master impulse control.

Have your Child snack on raisins instead!

Since we brought up the topic of obesity in my previous post, here is an idea of what you can let your children snack on. Raisins!!

The health benefit of raisins is that they are an antioxidant. These help keep the blood clean and flowing. They get rid of all unclean impurities in the blood.

Raisins are also great for healthy gums and teeth. Though raisins are sticky and very sweet, they do not cause tooth decay ore gum disease.

Raisins are also a preventative measure for macular degeneration, which is the health of your eyesight. Just as carrots are good for your eyesight as are raisins. Overall, raisins help with eyesight, oral hygiene and they act as antioxidants. Raisins are sweet and great tasting and promote good health.

However do not give raisins to babies under 3 they may choke on it because it is very small in size and sticky which can cause them to get stuck in your child’s throat. To prevent that you can cut them into smaller pieces

Indoor Ski resort- The coolest thing to do in Dubai

I’ve been focusing on Dubai lately because it is the coolest and one of the entertaining places to take your family to.

Have you been to the indoor ski resort in the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai?

Ski Dubai is the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East and offers an amazing snow setting to enjoy skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing, or just playing in the snow. Young or old, there is something for everyone, from the beginner to the snow sport enthusiast. Ski Dubai is a unique mountain-themed attraction that offers you the opportunity to enjoy real snow in Dubai all year round.

Learning to ski is fun and a real social experience. After you have had some instruction, you’ll want to get out on the slopes as often as possible with your friends and family or maybe just on your own to unwind from a busy day. It’s a continuous learning curve where you are improving every time you’re on the slope.

Think about it even in summer time you will get to experience the snow experience with your friends and family!