I think we also have to identify what we mean by tattling too. If the child is coming to tell something that actually happened and is an issue that needs solving that is one thing and yes it is a time to educate both children on how to handle these situations and coming to you as a last resort not a first resort.

The problem tattling is when it is just for the sake of either getting the other child in trouble, finding a way to engage the adult - as in when the adult is busy with another child. I understand that it is a child's way of putting everything into perspective but ignoring them sometimes when it is not critical is also a way of helping them to sort out what is an emergency/problem and what is not.

Tattlers lack the ability to handle life in general and so complaints of he hit me or she touched me - even if they just brushed by too closely are all things that the child needs to deal with, not the adult. We can't make things like that better. By ignoring those kinds of complaints we do tell the child that they are not important issues and that is the goal of the ignoring. The child learns that they can't complain about every little thing that pops into their head and learns to control their negataive reactions to everything.

It is very important to read the Little Boy that Cried Wolf story with tattlers and talk to them about the lessons of the story. When do they need to handle the issue and when do they need to come for help and what criteria do they need to use to judge the difference.