Photo: @beechalmers on Instagram.
Elaine Shienfield remembers the day last year when her six-year-old son, Jack, came home from school devastated over a Pokémon card. ?He?d traded his most valuable card by accident, and the other kid refused to give it back,? she recalls. In grade one at the time, Jack brought the situation to his teacher?s attention, ?but she basically said a trade is a trade,? says Shienfield.
For generations, kids have traded collectibles with one an-other, from stamps and stickers to fads like Pokémon cards and the more recent Shopkins. But it?s easy for young kids to be duped by older or savvier ones into handing over a rare, valuable item for a common item. Other times kids trade their favourite collectible without realizing they?ve made a permanent deal. The after-school tears and arguments with classmates and friends can leave parents frustrated and schools scrambling to institute bans on trading. Here?s how parents can help ensure swapping stays the way it?s supposed to be: fun.
1. Get involved

You may have to brush up on your knowledge of the tradables he likes, so you know exactly what you?re getting into, and can go over trading etiquette together. ?Explain to your kid that trading means an item is no longer theirs, and that if they bring something to school, it can get lost or damaged,? says Sonia Nicolucci, a psychotherapist and parenting expert at Leaside Therapy Centre in Toronto. ?Talk to your child about how they will feel if they trad...