Use possessive words that describe things that belong to your child or to others. For example, “That is your bread. This is Daddy’s soup. Would you like some of Daddy’s soup?”
Self-awareness develops in tandem with language skills. Children who have greater self-awareness of their own abilities are more confident and have better self-esteem.
A study on the use of possessive pronouns was carried out with 66 British toddlers. Researchers observed the toddlers in their homes over two visits 6 months apart when toddlers turned 18, 24 or 30 months. The study showed that the ability to use possessive pronoun (such as "mine"), which emerges between 18 and 24 months, unfolded when children developed the concept of self and others. The use of possessive pronouns was initially associated with physical aggression.
However, children who used possessive pronouns at the first visit were significantly more likely to share objects with their peers 6 months later. The finding suggests that general conversational competence and the particular ability to talk about the possession of objects may facilitate positive relations with peers.