Sharing and taking turns is a learned process that only develops when children can start empathizing with others. These skills take a tremendous amount of self-control for two- and three-year-olds. We model self-control for Friendly Frogs as they see you patiently wait to play the triangle. We can also help the child to wait by touching him/her gently or showing him/her how to pretend to play the triangle before it is his/her turn. This helps him/her find his/her own strategies for waiting. Learning these skills helps the child when we celebrate and acknowledge all the tiny achievements along the way. Observe your child when he/she is with friends and classmates. Watch for opportunities to affirm his/her efforts, saying something like: “You are so polite to wait while Nancy takes a turn.
