Sharing (or not) at this age

Two-year-olds play alongside other children more than with them, and sharing is not yet a developmental expectation. The concept of another person's perspective is still forming, and asking a toddler to "share" often confuses more than it teaches. Provide duplicates of favorite toys during playdates to reduce conflict. Keep playdates short — 60–90 minutes max — to prevent overstimulation meltdowns. Turn-taking, however, is teachable. "Your turn, then my turn" with a clear timer or visible count-down helps toddlers practice the underlying skill without demanding empathy they can't yet access. By age 3, true cooperative play and sharing start to emerge — earlier expectations set everyone up for frustration.