Do 3 and a half year olds know what lying is?

[mankymummy]

i am at a loss... DS clearly is saying the opposite of what actually happened in a number of situations... does he just not understand or remember what is true?

I Have a nearly 4yr old they are imaginative and intelligent enough to foresee situations and some consequences and can create or try to create 'different realities' iyswim

they are also very fanciful creatures with a fluid sense of time and wild imagination where the dividing lines are not always that clear IMO

dd is prone to blame her imaginary friend for minor offences

I think they are just begining to understand - obviously varies.My 3.5 year old seems to understand that if he tells me he didn't do something (when he did) then he won't get told off. However, he isn't very good at it - so if I question him further he always crumbles

so how do you help them understand that they need to tell the "truth"?

I think we teach the way they learn everything by example, with patient and calm explanations, particularly if there are consequences
and consequences as well as the possible negative impact on other is not something they can yet fully grasp and really won't for a few years still