Reasoning and Problem Solving

Does Your Child Know That He's Lying? Tall Tales May Simply Be a Sign that He Hasn't Learned to Distinguish Between Reality and Fantasy

At three years old, your child is still learning much about the world. One tricky concept for him can be distinguishing between what is real and what is make-believe. Cognitive scientists differ about how much confusion there really is among children this age, and some feel that they simply don't have enough experience in the world to be sure about what's real or not. There are many circumstances when the line may be blurred for our young ones. For instance, if your child enjoys playing pretend, she may recount adventures "that really happened!" but were actually just a part of play time. He may also be convinced that there's a monster in the house because he heard a bump in the night. It doesn't matter that he's never actually seen a monster; he's never seen Santa Claus in action before, either, but he likely still believes that St. Nick leaves presents under the tree at Christmas. For the most part, don't worry if you hear him tell a tall tale or insist that he's a puppy. Very likely, he knows he's not really a puppy. While your child may truly believe in some of his tall tales now, he will develop a better understanding of how to tell truth from fiction as he grows up. See our tips below for ideas on how to battle imagined fears.

Has your child achieved the following Reasoning and Problem Solving developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all of the skill(s) he has already mastered to date.