At What Age Do They Get The Concept Of Lying/What Wording Do You Use?

[newtodaycare22]

I have a girl whose up and down with potty training. She'll be 3 in July. Advanced for her age and can hold a conversation with adults better than any 2 year old I know. She wears undies at home but here she can't be bothered. She goes potty sometimes but usually in her pull up and then she tells me.

The past 2 days at nap she's told me she went poop and then when we get to the bathroom, she hasn't. Today I told her it wasn't nice because she didn't poop and that wasn't the truth (she just wanted to get up).

Do you use the word "lie" with 2.5/3 year olds?

[SunshineMama]

I have a girl whose up and down with potty training. She'll be 3 in July. Advanced for her age and can hold a conversation with adults better than any 2 year old I know. She wears undies at home but here she can't be bothered. She goes potty sometimes but usually in her pull up and then she tells me.

The past 2 days at nap she's told me she went poop and then when we get to the bathroom, she hasn't. Today I told her it wasn't nice because she didn't poop and that wasn't the truth (she just wanted to get up).

Do you use the word "lie" with 2.5/3 year olds?

Sounds like my dd. I tell her that she is not telling the truth, and saying things that didnt really happen. That is called a lie. I explained the word lie to her in different ways, and she had no problem grasping the concept or the word at 2.5.

[Ariana]

Sounds like my DD! Whenever she says she poops it's actually because she has farted and thinks this is the same thing for some reason. She'll also call her pee poop as well.

Next time she says it ask her "did you really poop or did you just have a toot/fart?" and then check her. I personally wouldn't call this lying eventhough it's sort of what she's doing. I would talk more along the lines of telling the truth (it's important that you tell the truth...do you know what the truth is?" She may not know that she's not telling the truth.

[Bella99]

I agree with the farting thing, I've seen a couple kids who've farted on the toilette then brag that they pooped. ::
Maybe SHE thinks she pooped.

[SilverSabre25]

At that age, I call it story-telling. I try to teach them the difference between a story and what really happened--those are the words I use. Around 4/5 I start using the words lie and truth, and it depends on the situation whether I think something is a lie or a story. Sometimes the off-the-wall things kids say are dreams, or memories, or what they wish had happened, or what they think you want them to say.

For the pooping thing, I would just cheerfully say, "Oops, nope, not this time! Maybe you just had gas!" and send her on her merry way. Or have her sit on the potty just in case.

[MNMum]

My little guy will be 3 in October, he is also conversationally advanced. He is at about the same stage with potty training. He has told me a few times this week that he pooped (in his diaper), but then nothing there. I wouldn't think this is lying, just misinterpreting!