"Never let the truth get in the way of a good story."
We started saying that in joking reference to the way TNC can sometimes...embellish a bit when relating a story. Apparently, my son is taking this saying to heart. In fact, he is telling so many stories right now I think he's made it his mantra.
It's not just normal kid fibbing, you know this kind:
"WB - did you brush your teeth?"
"Yes."
"Really? Then why isn't your toothbrush wet?"
It's things like coming home from the airport with him and Pixie in the car. Pixie is playing with her Zhu Zhu Pet. WB pipes up with, "I have a Zhu Zhu Pet."
"Really?" I ask.
"Yeah...but I...lost it. At Nana and Papa's. So I couldn't bring it home."
To which I reply, "Hmmm."
"You don't believe me!" (Dead giveaway.)
"Of course I believe you. Because it would be silly to make up a story like that. Right? Why would you make up something like that?"
Silence from the backseat for a minute. And then, "Sorry, Mama."
And this is just one of many, many examples we are coming across. Some of it is harmless. I happened to see a wild turkey yesterday while out in our yard. I called to him to go look out the front door so he could see it. Cool, right? This morning he goes to the window and says, "A turkey! (Mind you, I can see out this window too, which I don't think he realized.) "I see a turkey...but it just ran away." (News Flash - there was no turkey.)
But some of it requires investigation. He told my MIL that some kids were picking on him at school and he was still upset about it. She asked him if he told the Mr and me and he said, "Yes. But I forgot what they said." So her initial reaction of something being really wrong was kind of tempered by his admission that whatever life lessons we had told him, he couldn't remember. (For the record, we are checking with the school, but I just don't think anything really happened.)
Which is the MOST frustrating part. Boy who cried wolf, anyone? And he KNOWS that story. I have brought it up to him when he gets caught - yet again - talking smack. I am seriously starting to worry...that I'm going to lock him in his room! I can't take it. The worst part is, he starts to believe himself! Sunday - we take a bit of a drive to go to a BlockBuster because the one in our town shut down. Apparently that's the way of things - because the one we drove to was also out of business. On our way home he says to me,
"Mom, I actually went on-line to the BlockBuster site and saw that that store wasn't open anymore. I just didn't want to say anything."
"Really."
"Yeah! I'm telling the truth! (dead giveaway) I did! I saw it on-line that they had closed it."
"Uh-huh. So you found blockbuster on-line, managed to figure out how to locate a store on the website and found that the one we were going to was closed."
"Yes!" (And this is the WORST part - he starts to get upset! He's buying into his own bullshit!!!)
"Okay then, when we get home you can get on the computer and show me exactly how you did that."
Silence from the backseat for a minute. And then, "Sorry, Mama."
It's driving me mental! Is it just for attention? Believe me, the kid gets attention. Is he delusional? I don't really think so. But I am telling you - it is a 24/7 work of fiction at our house. And I can't take it much longer. I don't know where to start with it. The "why" of it all is certainly part of my struggles - but I do think the answer to that is the attention and maybe that other people will think he's cool or something? Or be impressed? I don't know. I need to do some research on it, clearly. In the meantime - if anyone has any advice I'd gladly take it. Or just send him to your house until he's through this phase. That works too, right? Right?
Hey! Come back here!
