Tattling is hard because I want the big kids to tell me if the little kids are doing something they aren't supposed to do when my back is turned. Mostly doing nothing about what they tell you sort of puts an end to it. If it was against the tattler such as X took my book then I tell them well dont' tell me you want it back tell them that sort of thing. At the same time not doing anything is when it escalates and hard to punish a child for hitting if they are in effect being bullied by someone else. That is when knowing whether to punish the tattler or the instigator is important and a learned art unfortunately not an exact science of knowing when someone is tattling because they have run out of being able to handle it themselves and when they are doing it as a first line of defence to get others into trouble.

Changing it around and instead of letting the child tattle but instead telling them they may come to you for help difusses some of it. They don't always get the kind of help they want either but the kind of help you think they deserve.

Ah the joys of kids that can't talk.....

Sharon