Chase has a very active imagination and plays some very elaborate games. We hadn't thought much of it until now.

I got to Kinder the other day and the teacher asked me about our friend who owns the Ice Cream factory . Apparently we have friends who own an Ice Cream factory and they let us choose what flavours to make! When I asked him about it, he just said "We aren't friends with them anymore though" and didn't seem to have any idea that I was trying to get at him making things up. We also apparently know the people who drive garbage trucks and other interesting things.

How do others deal with 'tall stories'?

I have tried explaining the difference between real things that have happened and make believe but I don't think it is sinking in. Either that or he truly is leading a double life and is having a lot of wonderful adventures that I don't know about!

That's one amazing boy you've got there. What a brilliant imagination!

I have read somewhere that telling stories is a sign of high intelligence, so I hope my girls start lying soon.

No suggestions on how to deal with it, just enjoy I reckon.

My DD is in Kindy (5 this year) and is the same, not quite as elaborate as your DS though!

The Kindy gave us pamphlets not long ago about 4-5 year old development and it covered this exact thing. It is completely normal. Under speech and development it says they 'tell long stories which may be partly true adn partly made up' and under social and emotional development it says 'they play quite complicated make believe and pretend games, some have imaginary playmates, they have not yet worked out what is real and what is fantasy and may tell stories (lies) to please parents'.

DD usually saves it for home (there's monsters in the house etc) I let her tell her stories and tell her she has a great imagination and is very good at making up stories inside her head! I love it, it's very entertaining and is something most of us lose when we get older so I'm not going to squash it now.

Thanks for that.

We have suspected that he is quite bright but I suppose only time will tell on that one .



I think that is my concern. I want to foster his imagination BUT also know that there are times when he really does need to tell the truth. We have been doing lots of discussion on make believe and how much fun it can be as a game and also how there are times when we need the truth but just not sure how well we are going!

I discovered today that I am becoming very good at telling when he (and his brother) switch between real and imaginery as the voice changes but others aren't picking it up. They were talking to each other in a pretend game situation and my mum started answering and questioning them but I knew they were playing make believe.