Should kids share their toys at public places like the park? That’s the question at the center of a now-viral video posted by a mom who has a take on sharing toys that’s turned out to be a little bit controversial—at least, according to the comments section.

TikTok mom Kiara Blanco posted the video where she said she thinks it’s “cruel” for kids to bring toys to the park and not share with others.

“Don’t bring toys to the park unless your kids and you are ready and willing to share,” said Blanco, who is a mom of a toddler. “I don’t think it’s fair that you’re going to bring toys to a place where there’s going to be a bunch of kids and you are not willing to share the toys with the other kids. I feel like that’s just wrong.”

She continued, “I don’t think people should take toys to the park at all because of that whole situation. And yes, people need to know, ‘OK, this is mine’ …. but at the same time, I feel like that’s just cruel. So, how about we leave the toys at home or be willing to share those toys? I don’t know what you guys think — I might be the only person with this opinion. But I’ve seen it too many times when I go to the park and we don’t take toys to the park because of that reason.”

In the comments, though, most other people vehemently disagreed.

“Absolutely not. Teach your child not everything is theirs,” one commenter wrote.

Another added, “How bout you teach your child that they aren’t entitled to playing with someone else’s toys,”

Yet another weighed in, “Should we also bring the entire park snacks, milk, blankets, chairs etc.”

One commenter offered this food for thought: “Unpopular opinion… perhaps… Being forced to share is a root cause of becoming a people pleaser. Saying yes because you’re afraid of upsetting or disappointing someone by establishing boundaries.”

And a mom in the comments shared the experience that made her disagree with this take: “Completely disagree. Last summer I let other kids play with the water toys I brought and they ended up broken, the other parents didn’t care. I no longer share with kids I don’t know.”

Heather Shumaker, author of, “It’s OK Not To Share,” says sharing should be genuine. Sharing is about giving and kindness. The problem is, she argues, it’s often wrapped in the idea kids have to oblige someone at a moment’s notice. As Shumaker tells Positive Parenting, this child doesn’t learn to be generous. He just “learns that sharing feels bad.”

Plus, “in reality,” Shumaker states, “it’s the parents who are sharing, not the kids.” 

Francyne Zeltser, the clinical director of mental health and testing services at Manhattan Psychology Group, tells TODAY.com that kids shouldn’t feel pressured to share with kids they don’t know personally.

“If a child brings a toy to the park and actively engages with it, there should be no expectation of sharing,” she says. “However, if a child brings a toy or a bucket of toys and abandons them out in the open, they should expect for other children to play.”

What do you think? Should kids share their toys at the park and in other public spaces?

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