SPRINGFIELD, Missouri — A Missouri mother is dividing the internet for teaching her son that he doesn’t always have to share with others.
It started when Alanya Kolberg posted a photo and story on Facebook last week.
She said her son, Carson, took toys to the park to share with a friend he was meeting. But, at least six boys approached him demanding he share his toys with them.
He said ‘no,’ and the boys ran over to Kolberg attempting to tattle on him. She said it was OK for him not to share, despite other parents giving her dirty looks.
She said in the post: “So really, while you’re giving me dirty looks, presumably thinking my son and I are rude, whose manners are lacking here? 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?”
Kolberg compared the situation to eating a sandwich. She wrote, “If I, an adult, walked into the park eating a sandwich, am I required to share it with strangers in the park? No!”
She said it’s a lesson in setting boundaries and practicing self-care.
She said: “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.”