If a playmate is coming over, put away all “special toys.” Ask your child which few toys will be just too hard to share and honor her decision. Stow them in a closet and assure your child that her playmate will have no access. This sets the stage for informing your child in no uncertain terms that you expect that she will share everything else. This is a “speak now or forever hold your peace” situation.

Never let your child take an item to school or to a friend’s house that she isn’t willing to share.

Although children don’t easily grasp the concept of sharing, they can easily understand “taking turns.” “First, Sydney gets to play with the guitar—then it’s your turn.”

Trick your child into “trading,” which is really the same as cross-kid sharing: “Why don’t you trade for a while? You can play with the magic wand for now, and Avery can play with the fire engine.”

Have at your disposal a sheet of stickers or a “cool” stamp—there are two sheets of helpful stickers at the back of this book. Tell your child and her playmates that you are the “Sharing Fairy.” When you see someone sharing, that person will get a sticker or a stamp to show everyone what a good job he or she is doing.