Learning to Share

Miss Mega is 1 year 1 month old

Zilla is 3 years 10 months old

 Perhaps one of the toughest things kids have to learn is how to share.  Complicating that in a family situation is the difference in ages/abilities.  While Zilla knows which things are his and which things belong to all of us, Mega thinks that everything is either hers or it is something that Zilla should share with her when she wants it.
During the past week I've seen some real steps towards sharing being made by both kids.  Zilla has figured out that if he wants to play with the Lego or a train track he should first make something for Mega to share with so she doesn't take his creation.
Mega has figured out that if she wants to use something that someone else is using then she should offer a trade.  She also likes to pass out food - sometimes even food she has already "tasted" for you!

When we have our school time we have run into a problem though... Mega wants to share everything her brother is using.  It is very difficult to put together a puzzle with her help!  We have a compromise which works about half the time - she can do a similar activity at the same time at the same table.

Earlier this evening I was uploading a video to the On Our Signing Way blog.  It has a great example of the use of the sign "more" and an attempt at the sign "airplane".  It wasn't until I was adding the word annotations that I noticed Mega signing "share".  How could I have missed it?  It was quick, it was right after another sign, but it is such a key word/concept!

On a side note - putting "more" and "share" together means she is able to "speak" in 2-word sentences at 13 months old.  Signing kids really do get a head start!!!