We dont force our dd to share (she's 2.5) However it's never been a problem for us. All we do is simply point out that someone looks like they might want what she is playing with and *whenever she is done, would she please give it to X child*. That is the key for us, it puts no pressure on her to hurry up and play, it gives her no time constraints (because she wouldn't understand 2 minutes or 5 minutes anyway) and it gives a definate boundery for the other child. I say the same thing to another child when she wants something they have, "Hey, Johnny, whenever you are dont with that truck, would you please let dd see it?" If they are hesitant to give it up, I simply explain that they are still really into playing with that, lets go find something else. I empathize with her really wanting the particular toy and suggest other things we can do while we wait. I found that the more attention I give the toy, the more the child (mine or another child) feels like they have to hoard or protect the toy. If I simply give them the power (I'm not really giving them power here, I'm just not taking it away like most adults would do by forcing them to share) they feel much less threatened. Sharing is a voluntary act, and when someone is forcing it upon you or your child, it ceases to be sharing and turns into turn taking or taking. I do not want my kid to shudder at the word share. I was never made to share, it was modeled and encouraged, but not forced. I have no problems sharing now.
In fact, it's one of the things that gives me great pleasure to give to others. Luckily, dd has seen us modeling waiting and sharing and she is really pretty good about it, especially for being so young. Toddlers just dont always have the capacity to understand that someone may only play with something for a minute or two, to them, if you take something from them, it's gone forever. Sharing isn't something that is 'taught' it's something that's 'caught'. By seeing others do it, by having others share with you. That's mho anyway.
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