Children and Borrowing

It is important to recognize, children do not understand the idea of ownership, at least the idea of non-ownership.  Give a child a ball, and they form a oneness with the toy that may never be destroyed.  Take it away from them and limit their ability to play with it for any reason and the bond with the toy is lost.

Having said this, the complication of explaining borrowing becomes either a natural thought process, or a task able to make even an economist shudder.  But inherent in every child is the joy found in receiving a thought of gratitude from someone having just lent something.  The "tantrums" are found in those exchanges where neither the borrower, nor the lender be fully understood in the terms of the exchange.

A perfect example occurs in our home often called hit and run exchanges.  Two children will be playing on the floor when one of them gets up, walks up to the other and takes the toy being used.  Often these exchanges are peaceful, however not always.

in progress