Based on content from ZERO TO THREE®: National Center for Infants, Toddler and Families.
Cooperation is the ability to balance one's own needs with someone else's. We often think of cooperation as children doing what adults want. That is compliance. True cooperation means a joint effort—a give and take that is mutually satisfying. To develop a cooperative spirit in children, we need to help them understand how our requests and rules are good for everyone.