What to expect at this age"You can't have it!" your child shouts
as he grabs his toy truck from his playmate. No sooner have you
smoothed out that squabble than another erupts. "No!" he yells
as his visitor heads toward his rock collection. Why doesn't
your child know how to share? Well, he knows; he just isn't very
consistent about doing it. Your three or four year old may spend
hours a day playing with other children, he can take turns in
games, and he's less self-centred than he was a year or two ago.
But he's still impulsive and doesn't have a very good grasp of
time, so waiting while his playmate takes a turn with a coveted
toy is challenging for him. On the other hand, many preschoolers
love to draw pictures for teachers, make presents for parents
and share snacks with friends. Children are just learning that
it feels good to give and that it's fun to share with friends.
You can sow the seeds of sharing by encouraging these displays
of generosity and by gently discouraging your child's less-
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