Out in the real world

1. Understand Why Children Tattle. Children tattle for a variety of reasons. Most young children use tattling as a means to help them learn the difference between right and wrong. Older elementary-age students often tattle to gain attention from adults, use adults to solve problems, get someone else in trouble, or to be perceived as “good” or “better than” others.

2. Teach the Difference Between Tattling and Reporting. In an age when violence in schools rages through the media, students need to know there is a time and a place when telling on a peer is the right thing to do.

However, children should know where to “draw the line” when it comes to tattling. They need to be taught the difference between tattling and reporting at an early age.

In simple terms, telling on another person for the sole purpose of getting him or her into trouble is tattling. Reporting, on the other hand, is telling on another person to keep him or her from doing something dangerous or destructive. Teach children that providing this type of information to an adult does not make them weak. Rather, it shows that they are truly strong in character.

Examples of tattles:

· “Julie and Marcy won’t play with me.”
· “Heather said my shirt was too small.”
· “Nicholas looked at me funny.”

Examples of reports:

· “Michael copied my test answers.”
· “Grayson fell off the swing and she’s crying.”
· “Celia is talking to a stranger on the other side of the fence.”

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