Question for those with children close in age....

Tea-and-Cake_3

I have 2 girls aged 4 and 2 and no matter how many times I say "share" and "take turns" they don't. I was wondering if people with twins or children close in age just get 2 of every toy etc. So, my question is... should I get 2 of everything at xmas to make life easier?

ziggy2004

My oldest two are 2 years apart and they still find sharing hard now ( 5 and 7). I refuse to get two of everything though and now they can share or I put it away ( evil mummy).

When they were younger I would enforce taking turns or distract one of them. I think it is perfectly normal behaviour and where I do happen to have two the same they will still want the one the other has

Amanda65

I have two girls just under 2 years apart and remember them wanting the same things. Sometimes I duplicated toys / got similar things and sometimes I didn't as you need to learn to share in life

If it's any consolation though, at 19 and 21 (and for the past few years tbh) they have got on brilliantly, share clothes (although do still moan when one takes something of the others without asking) and genuinely enjoy each others company. There is a light at the end of the (albeit rather long) tunnel

Raksha

My sister and I would never share. If we both had one, she'd want the one I had....... Mum would intervene and she would end up screaming...

My two youngest boys have always shared - I'd notice it and praise them when I noticed it.....

System

14 months between my first and second child and they always shared. In fact all my kids shared cause i couldnt see the point in buying duplicates as they get bored with stuff so easily. They knew if they fought i'd put the stuff away.

andi2

Mine are 7, 5, 3 & 2. Sometimes they share beautifully & sometimes I buy 2 or 3 of the same thing. Depends what it is really.

They don't get more than one of something if someone else has bought though, so they have to sort it out between themselves! Since we had a birthday last week & 2 more this week it has been interesting!

loopylass

when my four were little close ages the middle 2 they all were fighting etc but i never bought duplicate as you want them to learn the skill to share

My 2 grandsons are a year apart brothers and they fight, but if one is playing with a toy first he gets it. The other one then finds another toy even if he gets a strop on, but i do say when his finished with it you can play with it and his only got to wait a few minutes for the other to get bored.

mrcow

Mine share everything (17 months between them) toys, friends, books, clothes. I try to draw the line at pants, but they even do that occasionally.

I have to say that buying two of certain things certainly helps at times.

fluffnutter

They're a bit too young to willingly share with each other. You could buy two of everything I guess. Alternatively you could just see this as part of life - they'll have to learn. Let them get on with it. I believe you should try not to intervene in siblings' fights unless there's blood

Gra76

My youngest two are slightly over 2 years apart in age and they'll only share nicely if asked. The elder of the two gets very possessive over things if the younger one picks them up.

Abbafan1972

There's 2 years & 4 months between my girls (aged 10 & 8) and they are pretty good at sharing. Like a previous poster said, I don't buy 2 of everything (probably with the exception of the Nintendo DS), so they have to share. If I buy a book for them, I will just buy one copy of a title and then they will swap or they will share a particular toy.

They are into pretty much into the same things, so it's not too difficult.

The only problem I have with them is with putting things away. For instance, DD2 will get something out that belongs to DD1 and play with it, when I ask her to put it away, the response would be "but it's DD1's!".