DD says nursery keyworker made her eat spoonful of salt

[Nightshoe]

DD is 3.8 and goes to nursery. I'm aware that she is overly keen on her preschool group keyworker, but I've never seen it as a problem as they have lots of staff there and DD likes all the others. Just now she told me that she didn't like her keyworker because she is grumpy and at snacktime she says she made her eat a spoonful of salt.

Now, I know that we are fast approaching the age of tall stories and gross misinterpretation, but I don't want to dismiss her as being silly either because that doesn't feel very supportive. So WWYD? Should I speak to the manager about what DD has said, just to make her aware of it?

You need to speak to the nursery teacher and try and work out what happened, I find it hard to believe that someone in childcare wouldn't know the dangers of salt.
As you know kids that age tell amazing lies. One little boy I cared for ( I was his nanny) almost convinced his parents he had been hit by a car in my care, complete fabrication. He was only 3.5 years!

I would ask the keyworker - "did dd have something really salty to eat yesterday? She said something about salt but I couldn't quite understand what happened?"

It's very unlikely that there was salt on the table at a nursery - sounds like either a tell tale or a misunderstanding to me. But just in case, I would ask.

I would ask the nursery leader - just say 'DD said something very strange last night.....that's not right is it?'

I'm sure she's just making it up though.

My DD gets 'salt' and 'sauce' confused quite frequently, is that a possibility?

you could mention it to the manager, but in our nursery we don't use salt except to make playdough, so we don't have it in the room, and definitely not on the table
also, if I forced a child to eat a spoonful of salt, there are 3 or 4 other staff members that would see me doing so
children do tell tall tales, but like you said, sometimes you just never know
you would be better off speaking to someone at nursery so they can put your mind at rest

Do ask, there could be a simple answer for it. It might be that they were doing some kind of tasting activity that included salt (although I'd hope not a spoonful).

Yes, I do think she is making it up - I know that they don't have salt on the tables because I pick her up at mealtimes. DD would also know that eating a spoonful of salt is not nice because we cook together alot. I'm more concerned that she might have a problem with her keyworker (who incidentally is rather grumpy, but I wouldn't say this to DD)and just think that they should be aware of this at the nursery.

Almost certainly tall stories, but I think seeker's question would work well.

Thanks for the further replies - food tasting did cross my mind too.

I will just ask, so that DD knows I do take her seriously when she says something. I really don't have any concerns about the nursery and can't see this happening at all. The tall tales have just taken me by suprise!

If dd and her keyworker don't get on, I am sure you could ask for a change.

Well you never know. My godson was staying with a trusted adult who turned out to be bloody nasty. Not feeding him, let him go the whole day without a drink, frightened him in the night by putting a blanket over her head pretending to be a ghost.
Not saying it's true but I'd bring it up. People aren't always what they seem