3 year old lying

[BrookeDavies]

3yo DD has started lying. Mostly funny stuff which we talk about as 'real' or 'pretend' but some serious stuff as well.

A few times now she's said her Dad has hit her. I know he hasn't as I was there once, another time she said he hit on the head with a hammer like scooby doo.

She's not a big fan of his anyway, and this is not helping.

I don't really know how to deal with it. She comes to me sobbing, adament that he's hit her and it feels wrong to not comfort. But I know she is lying and DP gets upset if he thinks I believe her.

any advice?

At three children can't fully distinguish fact from fiction, so can't willfully lie until around 5 or 6 I think. She may be imagining what it would be like And that feels real to her. At 4 my son said to my Mum that I threw him under a train when he was naughty . . . I don't obviously! Try not to worry.