Do your kids tell the truth about their age?

[Brian Noble]

I have a DD6 and a DS4. DS has always stated his true age rather than try to be "just as old" as his sister. However, he will tell you he has a loose tooth. It's been the same one for the last year or so, ever since DD started losing hers.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

Sorry, OP, that people are misinterpreting your question.

I understand what you are saying.

I have never lied about my kid's ages, but when we took my just turned 2 year old son (who was as big as your average 4 year old), I did wonder about that.

If you asked him how old he was he would always answer 4 (like his big brother). We would always correct him, but he would say, "No--I 4 just like brother!!!"

No one asked, and we were NOT lying, but I did wonder if we would end up having to explain.

But no one ever asked. Now he is almost 4, will need a ticket anyway, and answers with his real age.

DD will be 10 months on our trip so I doubt we will be questioned about her

 

[lmhall2000]

I would never ever lie to get my child in at a discount.....and my children have never changed their age (they seem to be very proud of their age)....but the problem I run into is the size of my son! When he was 2 he looked like a 4 year old and wore size 5 clothes! He's just unusually tall and big boned for his age...he's solid as a rock...and when we'd tell people he was 2...we'd get all these doubting looks as if we were trying to cheat them...it made me not so happy.

Now my son is 9 and he'll be 10 in May...we are travelling to Disney in January and I promise you he looks like a 12 year old...even my son complains because everyone thinks he's a 5th or 6th grader and he's only in 3rd grade. So I hate the stares and may have to break down and carry his birth certificate with me.
Tara

 

[Gillian]

My son knows he's 4, because he just had a birthday, but he's asking when he'll be 5, so who knows what he would say if asked, in any context? He might say he's the same age as Matthew, which wouldn't be helpful to anyone, but is VERY important to my son.

In a Disney situation, I don't really see the reliability of a CM asking. I haven't seen them interested before either, but I know it happens.

Wasn't there a situation here where a child was asked their age and said the wrong thing (too young for childcare)? Children may know their ages but it's different when a total stranger questions them.

 

[disneychrista]

I can not remember a time when my kids ever lied about how old they were.

 

[ksoehrlein]

Now that she is 4-and-(the-ever-important)-a-half, DD will tell anyone and everyone her true age. But even at the time of her third birthday, she seemed to remember her true age even when she would make up stories about being much older. "Sixty-ninety" was her preferred "age" for quite a while, but she knew it was incorrect.

I think she would have been very aware -- and it would have sent her the wrong message -- if she ever heard her father or me lie about her age. And Lord knows, she would have piped up immediately (and loudly) to correct us had we ever tried such a thing!

Anyway, I know this wasn't where the OP was going with this thread, but in the words of Jiminy Cricket, "Let your conscience be your guide." And if you don't seem to have a conscience , think about the conscience you want your child to have. Childhood is when these conscience thingies develop, after all, and children learn by example.

 

[KPmom]

My little Abigale swears that she is 6. She barely looks 3 and people look at me like I am starving her to death. She speaks very well for a 3 year old and is VERY smart, too smart sometimes. So 6 isnt impossible for her vocabulary and actions, but she is just getting into a 3t. If I tell her that she is 3 and 3 is a great age to be she gets really mad and pouts for the rest of the day. When we registered for preschool and they asked her age she said 6, she had JUST turned 3 the week before, they said you know she is old enough for all day school now. I had to explain that she is a bit confused about her age. ~Mandy

 

[crisi]

My kids know their age, within reason.

Which is to say my daughter turned 5 1/2 the day after her fifth birthday. My son has always been much more exact - he is six and I fully expect him to pull out a calendar and count off six months from his birthday to figure out the halfway point - except he doesn't yet have the math skills.

I know what you mean, children are often confused about age - some kids will be four weeks before their birthday, or remain three for a long time. Some think its funny to say they are much younger than they are. Others just like to be older. It would be a strange CM to take the word of an almost three (or three) year old over their parents. I don't think this lack of exact age giving is an example of bad parenting, they simply have more "imaginative" children! My own daughter is so interested in her world of "let's pretend" its pretty amazing she will answer with her own name and not whomever she is pretending to be at the moment.

But the point about not lying is not that you might get caught. Its that its not right to lie. Even if you believe that Disney is a huge corporation that won't miss your money, it still isn't fair to me, who paid for my three year old.

 

[teacherforhi]

When my family went to WDW this past March, my sister did carry a birth certificate for her daughter. She had just turned 2 but is tall for her age. We were also concerned because we didn't know if anyone would ask her her age and how they would phrase the question. If she was asked "How old are you?" she would honestly answer "2". But if she was asked "Are you 3" she would answer "yes". The problem being she would answer yes to any number you put in there ("Are you 94?" "Yes") We just decided that having a birth certificate handy was the best solution, but no one ever asked her age.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Abra Cat,

First of all, I enjoy sarcasm and have no problem with the tone of your posts. I hope that we don't lose all sense of humor on these boards.

Now, please help me. I am determined to understand your question but am a bit confused. You post a question on a Walt Disney World themed website, specifically on the Trip Planning Forums Disney for Families board. Yet, you are upset that people answered in a Disney context. Isn't that the point of these discussion boards?

I hope neither of you sprains a shoulder patting yourselves on the back. [/B]

The topic of your thread is, " Do your kids tell the truth about their age?" The language from my post that you quoted answered your question. Are you determined to misunderstand my question?

 

[Abra Cat]

Originally posted by POOH&PIGLET
Abra Cat,

First of all, I enjoy sarcasm and have no problem with the tone of your posts. I hope that we don't lose all sense of humor on these boards.

Now, please help me. I am determined to understand your question but am a bit confused. You post a question on a Walt Disney World themed website, specifically on the Trip Planning Forums Disney for Families board. Yet, you are upset that people answered in a Disney context. Isn't that the point of these discussion boards?

I'm not upset about anything. I maybe shouldn't have used the example I did, but what got me questioning whether other people's children always tell their true age was the number of posts I read saying, "If the CM asks your child their age, won't you be embarrassed if he says 3?" or something similar. My own experience with my son insisting he's older, and other posters here relating similar stories, makes me think the "What if the CM asks his age" argument doesn't hold water. I only asked posters to take it out of Disney context because some were trying to turn it around into the same old lecture on lying to get into the parks.

The topic of your thread is, " Do your kids tell the truth about their age?" The language from my post that you quoted answered your question. Are you determined to misunderstand my question? [/B]

I apologized to the other poster I quoted, so again... I apologize. I probably read too much into your reply. I'm constantly surprised on these boards by the number of people who seem certain they are parenting their children exactly right and seemingly never misstep. I find myself constantly questioning my parenting skills, and always assumed most other parents did the same, but you all have "mad parenting skillz".

 

[Gillian]

Personally, what I get out of this thread is that even though we teach our children the right thing, and set a good example as much as possible, they are kids!! Their minds works in bizarre little ways and who can predict what will pop out of their mouths at any given time?

For example, on the way home from an evening church thing last night my barely 4 year old son was talking about the planets (a new obsession). In connection with the planets & all the people on Earth, he pipes up that God made us all. This is not a typical conversation for us at home.

So then he says, "if God made us all, he must be very magical. How can God be so magical? (pause) Maybe he's a rabbit."

 

[disneymom3]

Well, I have posted before but the question about how the question is phrased got me thinking about my youngest. He is in that stage of answering yes to any question. His sister (who is 8) was trying to prove a point about something he "thought" the other day and asked him a question requiring a yes or no answer. He replied yes. So I started posing questions to him that were totally outrageous Did you go to the zoo yesterday and see pirhannas? Did you have pizza for breakfast this morning? Are you going to be 7 on your birthday? Everyone of these said in a cheerful "positive" sounding voice got a yes. (He's two, almost three)

 

[MateasMom]

Disneymom....my daughter is almost 4 and does the same thing. She thinks she's really clever We play 20 questions (we also have a 5 1/2YO) and we always 'guess' what 3YO is on our first try. 'Are you an animal' "YES' 'are you furry' 'YES' and you a table' 'YES'

 

[nyyankees5]

I understand where the OP is coming from..... My oldest son just turned 5 (9/30). One night while he was playing with his sister 3yo and new brother 10 weeks he did someting he wasn't suppose to be doing I said to him "Zachary you know better, you are 5 years old" He then relpy to me "I am not 5" I said yes, you just had a birthday. He said yeah, well then how come I did grow bigger when I turned 5.

He is already 45 inches tall and have been riding must of the big rides at Disney for the last year and a half.

Wasn't there a tv show "kids will say the darn'st things"

 

[julia & nicks mom]

OP - sorry some people misunderstood your initial question -

My DD will turn 3 next week. For a while her favorite number in the world was 5 - everything and everyone was 5 b/c she decided so - thank goodness she doesn't look it b/c I have taken her to places where the age cutoff was 3 and she proudly said 5. I would just laugh and say "you are so silly! you know you are 2!" and she would giggle and the employee would laugh knowing I wasn't trying to pull a fast one!

Right now she doesn't like boys so everyone (including DH and DS) is a girl!

This isn't really my child lying it is her being silly - and I would be so sad if my kids didn't know how to be silly!

 

[Tinkerbellmom33]

I understand what the OP is saying too. My daughter used to do this around 2 and 3. She would say she's 6 like her older brother and ask when she would be bigger and do all things her brother could do. Then on her fourth birthday she was in TEARS because she wanted to be 3 forever and never grow up! Go figure! Children are definitely unpredictable and so sweetly innocent. Their creative little minds are always working in some funny way!
Someone else posted about their son looking older. I have this problem too. He's 10 and is looking 12. I've already copied everyone's birth certificates just in case of any misunderstandings!!

 

[DutchsMommy]

I think I will probably carry around DSs birth. cert. or something just in case - he will celebrate his 3rd b'day on the last day we are at the World. I am not planning on paying for a ticket for him for that day. We are going on the Wonder the next day and I will be paying for the 3+ agegroup on board ($199 I think). Anyway, I never really considered paying for a 1 day PH, and I suppose if I was put to the test at MK on his b'day I would shell out, however I can honestly say it didn't cross my mind until just now.

So.....to the original point.....what comes out of DHs mouth is completely unpredicatable, which I would think would be the case with most kids around the "age in question" - the 2 or 3 mark. If he was asked how old he was, depending on his mood, you could either be told "plahplahplahplah" with a "raspberry" to top it off, or just get a scowl or a "why?why?why"

So, I can imagine that a CM asking "from the mouths of babes" would not get a generally reliable answer! LOL

 

[DutchsMommy]

Just one more thing....I think I read somewhere that kids don't even understand the concept of true vs. lie until 5 or 6 at least, so asking anyone younger and not getting a "truthful" answer is just par for the course.

 

[riopooh]

When we were in DW last year, it was a few days before DD 3rd b-day. At CRT one morning, whe got a cupcake and we sang Happy birthday so of course she was three. The next night at the Chrystal Palace, another cupcake so now she was four. Then we had dinner with friends - of course now she was five! By the time we left (on her actual 3rd b-day) - she was seven!!!