Fibs/lying!

[Tgger]

My 4 year old DS (4 and 3 months) has discovered the power of fibbing/lying .

So far it's been small things- blaming his 2 year old sister for things, saying a toy was his at nursery school and showing it at show and tell when it wasn't (!)- also bringing said toy home- and telling his new friend at nursery that it was his sister's birthday when it was months ago! (bit embarrassing when I got a text from his Mum saying Happy Birthday).

Mostly this amuses me and I think is quite normal but just wondered if I should be more horrified than amused, or if I should be a bit firmer about telling him lying is wrong- have told him but not laboured my point!

Recent articles I have read relate lying to intelligence. I shouldn't worry too much!

DS (3.6) does things like this. I don't really see it as lying, more just trying out scenarios. Apparently today was my birthday for a while. He is also an expert at archery and knows everything about cars. It isn't that he actually believes everything he says just he is trying it on for size IYSWIM.

I do tell him off for lying when I ask if he needs a wee and he says no when he obviously does though! That really annoys me.

We have had the "trying on for size" for quite a while. It's only in the last couple of months that it's getting more like fibbing/down right lying!

Mostly I smile to myself. Today he put his trousers on the wrong way round (by mistake), couldn't be bothered to change them and said "Mummy, these trousers are supposed to go on like this, with the pockets at the front", I bought them from Argos and they sell them like that there."

Ha ha! I suggested that maybe it was Tesco not Argos as Argos don't really do Jeans. He was happy with that.....

We have another one here...ds' baby sister (5 months) seems to be capable of anything when I leave the room. Seems she's a child prodigy as can walk,climb,push things over and even draw! Amazing!

I always think this sort of lying shows intelligence/imagination and nothing to do with being naughty.
My 3 year old grandson makes up amazing tales and is totally engrossed by his own stories. I always listen to him but I never tell him he is lying, Sometimes I say to him - 'Was that real,.or is it a story ?' He will often say its real but when I ask again he will quite happliy say its a story.

His latest one was that a fox came into the house and was watching the TV with him - He described it in detail.

We do talk to him about telling the truth though - especially about important things.

Tgger - Perhaps you could congratulate your DS for telling such fab stories. Then he won't carry the label of "lier" and I'm sure he'll grow out of it. Sounds like you're having fun anyway.