Tattling is an issue that can begin very early in childhood. It is often used by a child as nothing more than a way to obtain Mom or Dads attention. Allowed to continue it can develop into a child being unable to settle their own conflicts. It could also lead to resentment on the part of a sibling when he or she feels that everything they do is being scrutinized and passed onto the parent.

As a parent, we should not allow tattling to be tolerated. Still, in regard to teaching our children that tattling is wrong, we have to be very careful that it does not cross over into constructive telling.

The tattling child needs to be reminded that tattling is a waste of your time and you do not want to be bothered with it. The idea is to impress on the child that tattling is frivolous in nature and accomplishes nothing. One tattling child can also lead to another. It is often that we can hear, “Mommy, Jon stuck his tongue out at me,” to which Keslie will reply, “But Mom, Jon did it first.” This is simply a case of sibling rivalry or a way to gain a parents attention. At this point, you may wish to ask your child “Is this important enough to bother me with?” Of course, it is not and the reasoning behind it should be explained to the child.

Another tactic may be to ask the child, “What do you feel should be done about it?” In following this course you begin to teach a child how to take care of their own battles. Their developmental skills in handling their own conflicts may not as yet be finely enough hewed to make them confident in handling the situation without adult input. In this manner the tattling may lose its appeal in exchange for the self confidence gained by the child.

No matter which way you decide to handle the situation, to open it for discussion is to empower the child. Tattling should never be open for discussion and the child made to realize that you don’t even want to listen to their tale of woe.

To avoid the issue of conflict between tattling and telling, time should be taken to explain the dire difference between the two. Where tattling will be considered a waste of time, telling will be rewarded with accolades of bravo!! Although the way we choose to explain it has to be age sensitive, children need to know that it is okay to ‘tell’ if a sibling is in danger of harming themselves or another. The childhood mind is relentless in procuring endless ideas of play or simple mischief and they often cease to see the danger in playing ‘horsey’ with a rope tied tightly around a siblings neck. They just do not see the repercussions of their actions. They are simply playing a game.

It has often been stated that parents need to have eyes in the backs of their heads. We also would appreciate the ability of being in many places at one time.

Doc.No:CB-600-ULT-A6B235

Author Bio: Colby Brister is the loving parent of one boy and one girl, he is also a writer for MyBabyBeddingShop.Com. Check out his Glenna Jean Bedding or his glenna jean spa or his Modern Baby Bedding.

Category: Parenting
Keywords: tattling child,tactics,developmental skills