• About Us
    • Our Blog Story
    • Advertise
    • contact us
    • Link Parties
    • Our Contributors
    • Founding Editor
  • contact us

Inspired by Family

brave moms. strong families.

  • home
  • family
    • love & marriage
    • parenting
  • Faith
  • feasting
    • appetizers
    • main course & sides
    • dessert
    • drinks
    • breakfast
  • Fun
    • kids crafts
    • home crafts
    • home decor
    • Travel
  • Shop
  • Book

family parenting

Encouraging Our Kids to Tattle

 

tattling and kids

Featured Contributor: Teri Newburn

“Go see what your sister is doing!”  I love to send my 3-year old son running through the house to track down his crawling, mischievous 11-month old sister.  Is she playing with the toilet brush?  Is she pulling apart my cell phone? Is she climbing into the dryer?  (If she sees me, she’ll cry and want to be picked up, so I prefer to send my son.)  I ask him to “tattle” at least once a day.

In a couple of years, I won’t have to ask anymore.  I’ll probably get constant reports, “She hit me!” or “He took my toy!”  I know I’ll get tired of hearing it, and I will find myself saying, “Don’t be a tattle-tale!”  But when that season passes, and the “don’t tattle” message has been well-learned, I might find myself begging for a report again, “Do his friends do drugs?” … “Does she eat her lunch or just throw it away?”

One of my greatest desires as a mother is to have an open line of communication with my children.  When I think of them growing past this sleepless, diaper-changing stage, I hope that they will want to talk to me about their friends, their desires, their hopes and dreams.  I want them to tell me everything… but as a high school teacher, I know the reality: many teenagers choose not to communicate with their parents.

By teaching my children not to tattle, would I be teaching them not to communicate with me?

If they internalize the “don’t be a tattle-tale” message as young children, will they choose not to tattle when their best friend threatens to commit suicide?

In some cases, tattling could be the only hope to save a life or break a dangerous addiction!  When they get a job, and they see a fellow employee stealing merchandise, tattling is the right thing to do.  If my baby girl started climbing up the balcony railing on our porch, I would hope that my son would tattle loud and clear.

This is my goal: I want to take the negative connotation of “tattle” out of my vocabulary.  As my children grow into the “tattling” phase, I want to listen and assess.  “Did you tell your sister you don’t like that behavior? Did you ask her to stop? How can you solve this together?”   Or maybe I will say, “Thank you for sharing this with me.  Is this something that you can solve together without my help?”  In the “dangerous” situations, I’m already training my son to tell me immediately.  These days, I want to know when my daughter wanders into the bathroom or climbs up on a stool.   I will teach my children when it’s appropriate and necessary to tattle.  “Is someone touching you inappropriately?  Tattle.  Will someone get hurt? Tattle.  Are you involved in a petty disagreement? Work it out yourself.  Is someone breaking the law? Tattle.”

When my tantrum-throwing toddlers have grown into moody teenagers, I want them to tattle.  What are their friends doing? What are their teachers saying in class?  What do they see on Facebook?  Tattling may be a lifeline of communication for someone in trouble, and I want to be there to hear each story.  I will have to investigate to determine whether the stories are true, but it’s worth listening to whatever my children want to tell me.  Yes, I think I will encourage my children to tattle.

What are your thoughts on tattling?

For a more in-depth look at the tattling issue, this is also a great article here.

Teri Newburn loves to explain math to anyone who will listen.  Recently, she happily traded her teaching career for a child-raising career, but  she still talks about math whenever she has the chance.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Print
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Related Posts You Will Enjoy!

  • Exploring Nature with Kids Activities

    Pumpkin patches, Red and orange hues, crisp cool mornings, apple cobbler, leaves frolicking and dancing…

  • 10 Family Friendly Fall Campfire Desserts

    According to my blog readers I'm a camping expert,lol. Seriously, out of all the things…

  • ABC's of Connecting with Your Kids

    I have an awesome workshop for you, to help you enjoy life, your kids and…

  • family crafts, recipes
    Best Family Projects

    I love looking back and seeing all the fun our family has had this past year. …


1 Comment

« I Can’t Believe I Did This for Father’s Day
Father’s Day: DIY Grilling Gift Set »

Comments

  1. Beth Saav says

    June 15, 2013 at 6:47 am

    Good article, Teri! It’s so important to teach our kids to think critically and to keep the communication lines open.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Inspired by Familia Inspired by Familia on Facebook Pinterest Google Plus Twitter Image Map

Inspired by Familia

Newly Released Book! Click on Images

Get your free printable now! Click on image below.

© Inspired by Family (also known as ME Mari Eugenia), 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from the owner of Inspired by Family is strictly prohibited. One picture with a link back may be used provided that full and clear credit is given to Inspired by Family and with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Copying a post partially, or fully, is strictly prohibited. Disclosure: Mari Hernandez-Tuten is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

To view click on a image below!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletters and be the first to receive all of our free printables!



  • Creative Date Ideas for Busy Parents: A Year of Dating Your Spouse
  • College Send Off Gifts: Open When... Letters
  • Printable Book Report Forms {Elementary}
  • A Fun Way to Teach Table Manners to Kids
  • How To Make Tissue Paper Flowers
  • 5 Ways to Keep Burlap From Unraveling
  • Family Activity: Simple New Year's Goals Printable
  • How to Make Straw and Paper Shooters: Airplane

Archives

Categories

More Great Posts on All Things Family!

Amazing Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Amazing Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Bread

No-Sew Captain Hook Costume From a T-Shirt

No-Sew Captain Hook Costume From a T-Shirt

Healthy Snacking: Apple Chips

Healthy Snacking: Apple Chips

How To Dye White & Brown Easter Eggs

How To Dye White & Brown Easter Eggs

Dental Health Activities for Kids

Dental Health Activities for Kids

© Mari Hernandez-Tuten, Founder and Editor of Inspired by Family Magazine 2012-present.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts (no more then 2 sentences) with a link back to content may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mari Hernandez-Tuten of Inspired by Family Magazine with appropriate and specific link to the original content.

MyFreeCopyright.com Registered & Protected

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.