PK child is sharing stories that didn't actually happen

[Anonymous]

I take everything that preschoolers say with a grain of salt. Kids that age are often not accurate reporters of things that happen - this is normal. Kids misinterpret things, get people mixed up, get days and times mixed up, and sometimes just say really wild things. Unless something seems really important to confirm or clarify, I would not follow up with the school and definitely not with other parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Panicked? Freaking out? Texting and canvassing other parents to crowdsource what’s happening?
You’ve got to learn how to calm down.

+1 your kid seems to be channeling your anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just wait until your kid starts telling the teacher tall tales about what is going on at home!

I clicked this thread thinking it was about that. Based on the bonkers stories my preschooler tells, I often wonder what they're saying at school about their weekend.

[Anonymous]

When I asked my 3 year old about a cut on his arm he told me a lion scratched him on his field trip to the zoo, a week earlier.

If it makes you feel better, lying is actually a developmental milestone, and early lying is correlated with high IQ.

[Anonymous]

Are you treating your anxiety, OP? Your kid mixed up the name of the kid who fell off the slide. It's not a big deal, you should stop reaching out to other parents about potential incidents when it's only coming from your preschool kid. Kids say strange things.

[Anonymous]

My 3rd grader comes home with stories that aren't true or are somehow true-adjacent. She seems to like the drama and my reaction. Like that Dr Seuss book, "I think that I saw it on Mulberry Street." I always "believe" her and provide the appropriate reaction - and then later we talk about how it wasn't entirely true but it was a good story ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader comes home with stories that aren't true or are somehow true-adjacent. She seems to like the drama and my reaction. Like that Dr Seuss book, "I think that I saw it on Mulberry Street." I always "believe" her and provide the appropriate reaction - and then later we talk about how it wasn't entirely true but it was a good story ...

To be fair I’m not sure I’d handle a 9 year old lying by giving her the reaction she seeks and then later telling her she told a good story.

But OP, that’s how you should handle it in your 3-4 year old for sure. It’s normal.

[Anonymous]

Our then three year old made up elaborate stories that were slightly believable to tell her teacher. We had to break it to her teacher that we weren't royalty in our country of heritage (DD created this story from when I was in traditional dress when attending a wedding.) Or that her dad was a jet-setting businessman who traveled all the time around the country. He once went on 2 business trips back to back when she was 3, but that was rare.

[Anonymous]

My preschooler told me he got stabbed with a knife this weekend… and he jumped on the bad guy and defeated him.
I listened to a child development lecture once that said tall tales are developmentally normal in preschool/k.

[Anonymous]

All normal but your reaction is not. Dont call other parents about a story your kid tells you! It is OK to talk to the school and clarify details especially if your child is upset but dont run to other parents! If your kid comes home saying Billy made another kid cry and you call another mom to share that info without knowing the context you will have a long road ahead of you! Or if your kid says Billy made him cry and you call Billys mom to talk it out... just dont.

Kids say all kinds of things.

[Anonymous]

Why do you care if a kid fell off the slide? This is not concerning at all. I doubt the girl “sprained/fractured” her foot. Pretty big difference between sprained and fractured.

Your kid is 3 or 4. I have a 4 year old and he is just starting to be able to tell stories in a clear way that we can understand.

Also, what is your kid doing that shows he’s so “stressed”? I seriously don’t think I have ever considered my 4 year old “stressed.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Our then three year old made up elaborate stories that were slightly believable to tell her teacher. We had to break it to her teacher that we weren't royalty in our country of heritage (DD created this story from when I was in traditional dress when attending a wedding.) Or that her dad was a jet-setting businessman who traveled all the time around the country. He once went on 2 business trips back to back when she was 3, but that was rare.

When I was a preschooler I told my teachers that my mom stayed at home and baked and cooked and cleaned. Hahaha my mom worked outside the home and did none of those things. (I don't think I've ever seen my mom bake anything in my life.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Panicked? Freaking out? Texting and canvassing other parents to crowdsource what’s happening?
You’ve got to learn how to calm down.

Totally agree. Your kid is 4 or 5. Kids tell lies. That's what they do. They're trying out communication and piecing things together. Maybe he didn't know the name of the girl who hurt her foot so he named her Katie because that's the name of a girl. Stop blabbing to other parents about what a little liar your kid is. You look weird and high strung.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Panicked? Freaking out? Texting and canvassing other parents to crowdsource what’s happening?
You’ve got to learn how to calm down.

+1 Your post made me stressed just reading it. The "lying" behavior is totally normal and a developmental milestone, as others have said. Also, your kid is more resilient than you realize and you can let go of stress about them being in class with their friends or switching classes.