Poll: at what age could/did your child trick you?

[Bink]

Yesterday my ds told me (very convincingly) he'd had a really bad day at school (we have school problems, so he knows I always want to know how it went), knowing that I would look instantly at his link book ...

... and have the lovely surprise of finding that in fact he'd had the best day this term.

Ds is 7 and has some communication difficulties ... so I was wondering - at what age could your child pull (or would your child have enjoyed pulling) the wool over your eyes like this?

[Marina]

Ds started this last year, at six. He is very convincing!
So glad he had such a smashing day yesterday bink

[DontBurnMeImJustATwiglett]

I'm still waiting for the day when I say "So, what did you do at school today" or "What did you eat for lunch" or "Did you have fun today" and I don't get a "Dunno", "Nuffink" or "Can't remember"

[Bramshott]

This is slightly different, but DD is nearly 4, and yesterday morning appeared upstairs with sweets, asking if she could have them before breakfast. Of course, I said no, at which point cue histrionics etc, BUT, what I was wondering, was at what age she will just eat them downstairs?! I don't think it yet occurs to her that she could actually just eat them, or do something without asking. Maybe I just have an unnaturally honest child?!

[DontBurnMeImJustATwiglett]

I find that children are naturally honest

DS 5.8 wouldn't dream of eating stuff I've told him not to

[Bozza]

No my DS wouldn't either. But he has made up stories - such as telling me that his friend wears his trainers for ball skills because DS wants to wear his trainers rather than his pumps. I know full well that his friend wears pumps.

[bizzi]

I also often wonder when honesty will ebb away, ds, nearly 12 will still ask for things, knowing the answer will often be no and having plenty of opportunity to just take but doesn't, at least I've not caught him yet!
As for pulling the wool over my eyes, ds was 3, I still remember it! Dd1 just doesn't and dd2 who's 6 has just started to. It's acharacter thing!

[SaintHunkerOfMunker]

DS1 does say "Mummy go in the kitchen" or "Mummy go and sit on the chair over there!" when he wants to do something he knows I don't want him to do (like play with the pedal bin or a dangerous-looking cupboard - ie one with the fusebox in). He's 2.6.

[suedonim]

Dd2 was around 3 when she began playing mind games. She asked if she could have a biscuit and I said no as it was near dinner time. So she toddled through to dh and asked the same Q. He said 'What does mummy say?' and dd replied 'I not asking mummy, I asking you!'

Another time, at around the same age, I witnessed her blackmailing her sister, who is 9 years older. Dd2 wanted dd1 to do something but dd1 had refused. So dd2 said, 'Sissie, if you don't do it I will tell mummy you pinched me and hit me and kicked me and she will lock you in a cupboard.'

I don't know where she got her ideas from (I don't lock the dc's in cupboards, honest!) but she grew out of it, thank goodness.