3 year old lying about being hurt

[GreenMeerkat]

My three year old DD has just started lying about people hurting her!

First incident she bit DD1's (5) leg (which is out of character as it is), we told her off and she then claimed that DD1 bit her finger (we knew she hadn't), then she bit her own finger in order to leave a mark and said DD1 had done it (I saw her do this).

Second incident, she was misbehaving (I forget what she was actually doing), so DH put her in her room. When she came out she started shouting that DH had hit her in her stomach. He hadn't. I saw the whole thing.

Third incident, she knocked her face at school today (she's in nursery class) and has a slight red mark by her eye. She told the staff at after school club that I had stuck a needle in her eye and that's why it was red.

I have spoken to her about lying, but what else can I do to stop this? I've just had a baby which I think is what is contributing to her acting out and is doing it for attention, but it's concerning me.

Any advice/tips would be most welcome!

One thing to start, is to have this conversation with Nursery staff. Tell them what you have told us, and that you will come and talk to them about any accusations she makes about when she is at Nursery and hope that they will be equally cautious when she talks to them at Nursery. They do, of course have a duty of care to all the children to listen to all disclosures, so it might be as well to let them know about this phase whilst she is going through it.
Other than that, all the usual things I'm sure you are already doing - lots of time spent with her, lots of positive reinforcement, and trying to get her to understand the old Peter and the Wolf tale.

Thankyou. I think I will definitely talk to her teachers at school.

The staff at after school club knew she was lying as they've known her and us for years as she went there for nursery too, so they know her character but she's only been in school since September so definitely worth talking to the teachers I think.

I have told her the crying wolf story and she did seem to understand it so hopefully she will take something away from it. Aside from being reported, if the lying does continue I worry about someone really hurting her one day and not believing her because of it.

We've been trying to give both DDs plenty of attention and one on one time since the baby arrived but I think DD2 is just struggling to adjust.