Was Mom Wrong to Tell Her Son He Didn’t Have to Share Toys? Some Say Yes, Others Say No

A Missouri mother is drawing lots of attention after explaining why she teaches her son the value in not sharing his toys.

Alanya Kolberg went viral for a Wednesday, April 19, Facebook post declaring, “My child is not required to share with yours.”

When she and her son, Carson, visited the park, Kolberg, who is a married mother of three, said her son was approached by six other boys “demanding that he share his transformer, Minecraft figure and truck.”

Kolberg said her son appeared “visibly overwhelmed” about what to do.

“‘You can tell them no, Carson,’ I said. ‘Just say no. You don’t have to say anything else,'” she wrote. “Of course, as soon as he said no, the boys ran to tattle to me that he was not sharing. I said, ‘He doesn’t have to share with you. He said no. If he wants to share, he will.’ That got me some dirty looks from other parents.”

Kolberg said if an adult walked into a park eating a sandwich, he or she would not be required to share it with other adults.

“So really, while you’re giving me dirty looks, presumably thinking my son and I are rude, whose manners are lacking here?” she wrote. “The person reluctant to give his 3 toys away to 6 strangers, or the 6 strangers demanding to be given something that doesn’t belong to them, even when the owner is obviously uncomfortable?

“The goal is to teach our children how to function as adults. While I do know some adults who clearly never learned how to share as children, I know far more who don’t know how to say no to people, or how to set boundaries, or how to practice self-care. Myself included.”

Kolberg said her son brought his toys to share with a child of her friend’s who was meeting them at the park.

Since the status was posted, it has garnered mixed reactions.

Some applauded Kolberg for encouraging children to stand up for themselves.

Others felt Kolberg was teaching her child to be selfish.