Toy sharing. It’s often the first social issue we encounter with our kids, and it seems to be both feared and over-processed by moms alike.
When we attended the open house for my first born’s preschool, there was one toaster in the play kitchen, and it was about to get real. A seasoned mom said to her daughter, “He gets the toaster for two minutes, and then you can have it for two minutes,” and the situation resolved. It was seen as fairness by both three-year-olds, and they moved on.
This simple tip dissolved many fights in our home over the past six years, but more than that, it laid the foundational truth that we will all have our time to shine. Maybe right now it’s their time, and then it will be yours.
It can be in sports or how fast a kid reads, but it frees our kids from comparison and encourages them to cheer their friends on during their time to shine.
We have a choice. We can live for our two minutes where we have the toy, or we can learn to be happy for the people around us and cheer them on. Even as adults it’s a concept we may need to consider.
Sharing two minutes at a time may be the building block of something much greater. If this is their time to shine, celebrate, your time will come too.
God has a good plan for each of our lives, and He gives without measure from an endless supply. We can trust our God for that.
