Mine, mine, mine...

[Jenine]

All of a sudden my 2.3yo is saying mine all the time. What is going on here?? Up until now he has been good at sharing, willing to let an upset kid have something he is playing with, trading, or is open to other compromises.

He says mine when he wants something I am eating, when another kid has something he wants to play with, when I'm simply moving something of his from one spot to another. He doesn't say it in a really bratty way which is a plus but I'm not thrilled with the behavior.

We don't force sharing. When something is his I reinforce that it is, and let him decide what to do. What else can I do to move through this phase positively? I would also be interested in knowing what this phase is all about developmentally, what is he working on?

[mnj77]

My dd, same age, is doing the same thing. Except I'm not sure she knows what "mine" means because she tends to yell it whenever she's mad about anything I think it's normal, and I'm just ignoring it. It's super annoying though, huh?

[MittensKittens]

My DD has just started this over the past few weeks... I guess it is a normal developmental thing, that will pass eventually. Can be hard to deal with, though .

[Snuzzmom]

Totally developmentally appropriate for toddlers, totally freaking annoying for parents.

When DS starts in on this, we usually say, "Yes, that is your bear." That usually stops it.

If the issue is him doing that on a playdate, we still acknowledge it and say something like, "Yes, it is your trampoline, and your friend is taking a turn on it right now which is making him very happy! You can have a turn after him, and when he goes home, the trampoline will stay here because it is your toy." (well, we're not usually this wordy, you get the idea)

I've found that confirming that the object is his stops the MINEing a lot quicker than ignoring it.

Oh- and if he's saying that about something that ISN'T his, I correct him and give him a toy or something that is.

[umsami]

I think it's a developmental thing. DD, who is 21 months, has been saying "mine" for a few months now. We actually call her Ms. Mine.

Of course, she does have two older brothers... so that could play a part...


I wouldn't worry.