Sharing is caring

George was an Eighth Grade student of mine who would continuously blurt out this phase: "Sharing is caring." I’m not certain he knew the depth of what he was saying, but he’d use it as way to make sure other classmates would stop bickering about things such as who sat where or who had a better packed-lunch. Funnily enough, it would always work.

As a teacher I have adopted the phrase and I use it very much like George used it. Students sense when I’m about to say it and they repeat in chorus “Sharing is caring”. I first stared using the phrase when I accompanied 45 middle-schoolers on a one-week sports tour to the South of Chile. We shared a bus and got to see a side of each other that we didn’t expect to find. In the phrase, sharing is caring, we found a connection of complicity involving all the growth experiences that occurred during the trip. Repeating the phrase has turned into a reset button for mischief; if students snap at each other in class, the phrase acts like an equaliser.

A home we don´t use a reset button. The phrase is not necessary. It’s the principle behind sharing is caring that applies. This morning my youngest and my eldest were fighting over the television. They both wanted to watch, but each wanted a different show. My youngest is three years old and my eldest is ten. Initially, neither one was able to show empathy towards the other’s wants, but as each advocated for their right to choose which programming to watch, they started to become more flexible. In the end, they made a deal which involved designating times and channels. I didn’t have to do a thing! Sure, I was the mediator and the agreement was made in front of me, but they came up with the idea themselves.

I’m certain their agreement won’t last till tomorrow. However, the skill of creative problem solving is ingrained. The reason why my two boys were able to find a solution to their conflict is that they were both able to see that the other had a valid point. They were able to reach an agreement because they care. There was no choice but to share.