Constant 4.5-Year-Old Tattler

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I had my 2 oldest - both 4 realize that there was power in tattling at one point. So, they started tattling on the younger 2. I just taught them to only tell me there's a problem if someone is hurting you or someone else. Nipped it in the bud really quickly.

I made the "mistake" of laughing about the situation with one of the tattler's DCMs- marveling at how smart little ones are and how quickly they catch on to how to manipulate things sometimes. The next day, I got a long email about how she was concerned that I was using the word "tattletale" with her daughter(I used it with Mom to paraphrase, but never once used the word to the children). She went on to talk about how secrets are bred in the dark and something about rape culture and empowered women..... Aye yay yay!

I returned the email with a long, thoughtful one of my own explaining my well-thought out methods that prevent 4 year olds from ganging up on 2 year olds in an attempt at calling the shots (and clarifying that I do not, in fact, call children names like "tattletale"). It seemed to have resolved itself after that. I've only been in this for 4.5 years and I only keep 4 children. She was one of my first clients and her child has been coming here for almost 4 years. She's a snowflake Mom and I've tolerated her well up until about 6 months ago. Her daughter is moving on to Kindergarten in the Fall (thank God!) and I will know what to watch for in interviews in the future in order to avoid snowflake parents.

That is horrible.

Please do share how to avoid snowflake parents when you get a chance. I don't wish to have them either and, as you might be able to tell, this Mom IS one of them as well.

[CeriBear]

Here, they 'go tattle to the baby' (youngest child in care, 18mo right now who LOVES the attention)

Not sure if you could do that, before I had a play phone anchored to the wall and I would tell them to call and tell someone.

I love this idea!

I work with 4 and 5 year olds and we are trying to teach them the difference between tattling and telling. Sometimes it's okay to tell the teacher-- if someone is doing something unsafe ( kicking people, not playing safe on the playground equipment) But constantly running to the teacher to tell them things like Sarah is making funny faces at me or Tommy cut in front of me in the line is not necessary. We try to encourage them to work things out themselves.