All Mine! (Terrific Toddlers)

Ava, Kai, and JoJo are playing with their toys at school, but they aren’t ready to share and take turns. Can the teacher help them out? JoJo wants Ava’s carrot. JoJo grabs one end of the carrot. Ava holds tight to the other end. They both shriek! Here comes the teacher to help. “I see you both want that carrot. But Ava’s not done yet. JoJo, here’s the asparagus—let’s make a stew with Ava.” JoJo does not want to make stew. She still wants the carrot. “Ava, tell JoJo, ‘You can have it when I’m done,’” the teacher says. Ava says, “When I done!”All Mine! is about toddlers’ need to feel ownership, so they can better navigate this tricky time in their development when everything is “All Mine!” Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers written by the authors about supporting toddlers’ needs for ownership. Written with simple language and reflective of children’s realities, the Terrific Toddlers series is based on understanding of the developmental level of young toddlers. Titles include All Mine!, Boo-Boo!, and Bye-Bye!. From the Note to Parents and Caregivers:“Sharing” is simply not a concept that a young toddler can grasp...yet. It may seem counterintuitive, but in fact, encouraging full ownership, as the teacher does for JoJo in All Mine!, can actually hasten the development of generosity, since allowing the toddler to fully be in this phase of development hastens her mastery of the lessons about self that it provides. It is not until at least age three—when young children are developmentally ready to want acceptance from peers and have a firm understanding of the concept of self—that they can begin to want to share.