After school yesterday, my daughter (in kindergarten/ will be 6 in February) was saying she sat out of the gym today, and she’s done that a couple of times. I asked why, and my daughter told me it was because her belly was hurting her. I emailed her gym teacher. I told her what my daughter told me about sitting out of the gym. The gym teacher’s response was that she hasn’t sat out of the gym of complained of a belly ache. I asked my daughter when she was telling me all this about her belly hurting in the gym, “does your belly hurt while in ballet class?” She said no. Idk how the best way of talking to her about this. I just don’t want to flat out say she lied to me, and I don’t 2ant to scare her or belittle her. I’m just not sure how to start the 'talk’s off. Any helpful advice?
I would guess something in gym upset her and she did not tell the teacher but she used the story to explain it. I would ask her to tell you about gym today and get all the info.
Take her too your dr my tweens been suffering tummy aches chronically for over Two years there’s many reasons why there tummy’s ache maybe she wants you to go watch her at ballet or nervous anxious
I would assume she’s feeling some type of anxiety or maybe fear, inside herself and she’s expressing by saying her stomach hurts because she doesn’t know how else to relate her feelings 🤷 you can discuss the importance of honesty with her but I think getting to the root of the issue would be most important. Hope this helps.
I would start with ive had belly aches.and say what was hard about exercise today.
Maybe she just don’t like gym or maybe another child said something beforehand could be a number of reasons y she fibbed there is a difference between a fib and and a lie just let her know next time if happens just to be honest
I’d be telling her I talked to the teacher and she said you didn’t sit out of gym or have a belly ache. Ask her why did you lie?
Just tell her str8. You were concerned so you talked to the teacher and she had a different story. Then follow wit, if something or some1 is bothering you I want you to kno you can tell mi. Ppl need to come str8 wit their kids, don’t you want your kids to come to you wit there problems and talk about it, instead let it build up which leads to anxiety and depression from holding it in. From my biggest to my youngest they all kno they can tell mi anything and I will have there backs
This is a hard age for kids. Its possible something about gym class is upsetting or stressing her. U should have a talk with her about gym class and see what she says about it. Ask her what they do and is it fun…things like that. Then u need to explain to her about honesty. tbh it could just be she wants your attention for a bit and a tummy ache gets it. Dont guilt trip her or anything like that. Just a normal conversation
I would find a story about why lying is wrong. Read it to her then talk about why it’s not good to do. Let her decide not to and tell you what’s really going on some day in the future.
Simply tell her you talked to the gym teacher and explain what the teacher said and let the convo go from there
Just simply ask her why she lied.about sitting out of gym class
Some times anxiety can present itself as tummyaches when they’re little. She may be having anxiety about something and this is her way of telling you. I wouldn’t talk to her about lying yet. I’d try to dig deeper to find out what she’s trying to cover up with the lie. Ask her questions about the situation to see what you can find out. Make sure to tell her that she can always talk to you about anything. In my experience, she’ll come clean if you’re patient and caring. Then you’ll have the opportunity to talk to her about the lie then.
My gd, also 5, gets a belly ache when anxious. My guess is that for some reason she gets nervous with gym. I would encourage her to feel free to tell you the truth, especially maybe in particular when worrying about something. Also chat more about gym class at home. What do you think you guys will do tomorrow in gym? What is the most fun, etc? Make it normal, casual, fun school talk at home. I also learned on here that you teach them that there nose turns red when they lie. Now she puts herself by either covering her nose when she lies or asking if her nose is red, lol. Works like a charm!
Someone is probably bullying her. Lord protect and bless this child, give this mother peace and expose the problem. Thank you Lord four saving & protecting grace.
It could be her way of telling you that she doesn’t like gym or that she’s uncomfortable in that certain class for some reason. I’d look into it more, and I wouldn’t make it seem like it’s not a big deal because it seems to be for her.
Even at her age I think it’s important that she knows you check up on her. Let her know you were concerned about her tummy ache and wanted to be sure the teacher was aware of it But, when you talked to the teacher she didn’t know anything about it. Let her know if her tummy hurts she needs to tell the teacher. Then I would ask her to explain. You don’t want her believing she can get away with lying and this way you’re not confronting her.
Maybe tell her the story about the little boy who cried Wolf way too often. And then when the wolf really showed up nobody believed him. I think it’s age-appropriate.
Let it go, they will tell you things that are exaggerated or simply not true esp regarding spats with friends. Just listen. Intervene when you see a big problem
Sometimes you have to use the words “you lied to me, and that’s wrong”. It doesn’t have to be said in a mean or cruel way and can be followed with understanding and empathy.
Too much now in society we pussy foot around because we worry what may effect them or hurt their feelings but in the mean time we aren’t teaching them valuable lessons.
When I caught my son in a lie at that age I sat him down and explained that what he did was a lie, lying is wrong and can hurt people. Also if you lie too much, people will stop believing you even when you’re telling the truth.
I also started reading the Boy Who Cried Wolf.
Since then he hasn’t done it to that extent. He’s done the typical cheeky child find which we all know kids do but he understands the difference now xx
Um she could just be making it up to test you and to see how far her lie will go. I’m always very blunt with my daughter. I’m not mean and I dont yell but this has happened with us before. And I just told her hey I’ve found out the truth. Do you have a reason why you lied? Then I say hey dont do this again, I need to be able to trust every thing you say just like you need to trust me. We should be best friends and best friends always tell each other the truth. If you lie, I cant trust you.
I would do like someone mentioned above. Let her know that you were concerned and spoke to the gym teacher. Try and find out her reason for saying that she sat out. At this age, I would be more concerned as to why she would make that up🤔. That’s a great time to let her know that she can always talk to you if something is bothering her. A word of advice as she gets older, never act surprised or alarmed at anything she tells you. When she’s older and just carrying on in conversation and sharing more than usual, just listen and absorb what she saying. I learned the most about my daughter when she probably figured I wasn’t listening.
Ask her Why she lied… At 5 ( 6) yrs old they know what lying is… Ask why she doesn’t like gym.
One yhing i tell my kids: if you dont tell mom the truth I cant help you make it better. Works on a variety of kid fibs.
My daughter struggled with her tummy hurting when she was anxious. She’s 7 and this still happens but she is able to articulate it better. I would address the lie (I felt like lying was a huge phase in kindergarten) but also address the underlying issue. Good luck mama.
She’s probably being bullied ! Or worse , Sit down with her and let her know she can confide in you
She could be getting anxiety in gym that’s the most common way anxiety is explained in children is them saying their tummy hurts
Maybe there is an underlying issue here, maybe stop by the school during her gym time and just observe her behavior. Maybe ask her why she thinks her belly hurts.
My kids are in the gym for bus duty and various other things threw out the week. Try asking her about different times during the day for example is it before or after lunch. That is how some of my sons issues started now we are 
percent dairy free.
I used to just hate gym class because there was to many people and so many things going on at once
My niece is the same age (6 February 11th!) she sometimes tells stories as if they’re about her if something a classmate or friend has done captured her fancy. She’s come home and point blank told me all about how she had grilled cheese at lunch at school and isn’t that funny because that’s what her sister and cousin had for lunch too when I know full well she had pizza because it’s Friday and that’s what they serve at school 
There’s something else going on. It seems she just doesn’t feel comfortable in that class. Maybe someone is being mean or she’s embarrassed. Be honest with her. Tell her you want to help her but that to help her the most she needs to be honest about why she’s avoiding gym. Talk to the teacher about previous behavior and if they know of any problems. Do a little investigating.
When children are stressed or feel uneasy about something, that feeling of unrest usually manifests in the tummy. This is a fact. I’m not sure what it means for her, but I would ask gentle questions and see what you find out and maybe do a bit of research online.
Maybe she just hates gym or the teacher she’s only six don’t stress it maybe if you just chat to her on a relatable level and talk about when you were at school and things you didn’t like or thought and she’ll probably open up without fear of disappointing you
Gently and easily. And like all these ladies are saying. It could be a range of things though. But do it gently and easily as so not to worry her.
Something could be going on in that class like someone picking on your child.Just explain that lieing is not the way to go and ask if anyone is bulling her.
Let her know you’ve talked to her teacher about it and they said she hasn’t sat out or complained, and ask her if someone is bothering her or if she just doesn’t like gym?
Telling the truth is crucial. Making stuff up is NOT okay.
I have a 9 and newly 6 year old and we talk openly about lying. It is something we do not do and I am very firm about this. Kids are smart and understand more than we like to think they do. Make the foundation now before it’s too late
That makes no sense for her to be doing gym class but to tell you something different. I would just let her know that you talked to her gym teacher and her gym teacher says she’s been in doing gym and hasn’t complained about her stomach. I’d also take her to the doctor and tell him that she says her stomach hurts during gym the past few times and see if they can find anything wrong.
Tell her honesty is the only way to go and the only way you can help her is if she’s honest! I think she may be getting bullied! So so sad and so hard on child. I’ve dealt with this before… Good luck and may God Bless you
She is possibly gauging your response to her sitting out because she’s either thought about sitting out for whatever reason or has seen another child sit out for that reason. I wouldn’t jump to conclusions that something has happened right away.
I do agree with Jamie, above. To let your daughter know that you spoke with her teacher. I have 4 younger sisters. (I’m 33) Ages now ranging from 29 to 18. And what I found to be most common in “white lies” are the attention attached to them. For example, your daughter knows of another student that sat/sits out of class for a tummy ache and gets attention from teacher, nurse and peers. She may be seeking the same treatment. Not for any other reason but simple curiosity or innocent jealousy. 
If she’s not used to exercise or running she could have cramps that don’t last long…
Tummy aches are usually a symptom of anxiety, add that she’s being sketchy about the situation… it sounds like somebody bothering her that she doesn’t know how to express. I wouldn’t accuse her of lying.
Could be anxiety related!
My neice does stuff like this, she had a nose bleed and told me her sister punched her in the nose but she hadn’t been punched at all or anywhere around her sister. She gets them every winter whenever she has a stuffy nose
Uggh parents these days, really! Get over it, if she lied and you know she lied, question her and get to the bottom of things, stop coddling your kids. One lie leads to another and another. Find truth and tell her its not ok to lie and tell her that next time there will be consequences and actually fullfill those consequences. Damn these parents these days! Yall are just pathetic as parents You keep coddling your kids, and not disciplining them. You are one of those " My kid is a good kid, they never do anything wrong" category. Nip it in the butt now or later you will have deeper problems!
She’s only six. Nicely explain telling the truth is most important. And it was probably just a bit if anxiety shes feeling.
I read an article awhile ago…That lying is a normal part of development, little kids do it to manipulate their world so it’s a sign of intelligence they can. When my kid first started I just set boundaries. Told her I knew… she lied about brushing her teeth. Her toothbrush was dry so obviously she didn’t. Niether was anyone elses toothbrush was wet. Explaiend to her what a lie is… it’s intentional telling of a not truth. It’s different than being mistaken. Like hey we will be there at 5 but end up there at 5:15 because traffic. When there is really traffic.
I taught her to correct the lie, apologize and to not do it again. Stressed the importance of being honest. We picked out a punishment should she lie to me again. Then followed through with the punishment. I think the lying is I take away the shopkins for two days. She hasn’t done it again… I’d have to look up what she thought was fair.
I would have called her out. NIP LYING IN THE BUD. But also let her know that if you tell the truth its better… for instance if my sons did something bad… and told me the truth. They would be LESS introuble than if they had lied… And I let them know before hand if they lie to me, I cant really believe them… So far it’s worked and both my sons are really honest, even when they KNOW they will get introuble. But I would go along the lines of “I talked to your p.e. teacher and they said you didnt say anything about a stomach ache… So why did you sit out?” If she changes the story… then yall need a sitdown.
Tell her telling the truth will help you help her the best.
I would be straight forward to her. I would tell her: “Listen sweetheart, I know you lied to me. I’m not upset about it, but I would like to help you in any way I can if you just tell me what’s really going on. You know I’m here for you, always.” Not telling her that you know about her lie won’t do any good. Be honest and be gentle
Maybe in the beginning of gym she feels uneasy? Like, she’s nervous on the game their playing or she feels like she won’t do whatever the teacher is asking correctly. You honestly could say “I talked to your gym teacher and he/she says you do GREAT at gym!” And explain what lying does and how you can get in trouble as you get older. I wouldn’t call my son out or accuse him of lying… Maybe you haven’t talked about “lying” much with her and nows a good time to start doing it more often. Use examples that she’d understand (books, YouTube videos) and so on! Good luck
She must have another issue. I would let her know your there to listen to her always no matter what she says. And tell her to please tell you if something else is going on. Ask what they’re doing in gym. Maybe she doesn’t like it.
Just ask her why she thinks it’s ok to lie you don’t have to yell or anything it’s not “belittling “ it’s parenting tell her it’s not ok honesty is the best policy always
I’ve been told that if they say their belly hurts it’s more of a mental thing than a physical l. They don’t know how to Express their distress feelings so they say their stomach hurts
If she said her tummy hurt I would assume she is nervous for some reason.
I’d straight up tell my child that I talked to the gym teacher about them sitting out and the teacher told me something different and ask my child if they’d like to try telling me the truth this time 
but that’s just me!!
She is 6 dont worry too much. But the best way is probably take her to see gym teacher and ask the question in front of her(daughter that is) then you can both ask her what is wrong and is everything ok in that xlass.
I didn’t read all the comments so someone may have said this, but some people are giving reasons why she may have sat out of gym class, bullying or food issues… but the gym teacher said that she didn’t actually sit out of gym class. The issue is that she lied about sitting out of class when she really didn’t. Did I read it wrong?
They lie between 5 and 8. Idk why.
Lol but she did lie to u …our 4 yr old was starting to lie…told us something that she did but said it was her brother (2yrs old) we knew she did it. Knew she was lying…her dad said well i guess nene (what she calls her brother) is gonna be in trouble then…no after snacks before bed (usually a yogurt or pbnj) for him tonight since he did that and u didn…she got SO UPSET. She started crying and saying no no dont take nenes bed snack away. We asked why and she said cause she did it not him…and we said so u see what happens when u lie? Other people can get in trouble or hurt because ur making something up…hasn lied since. And she was the one who didn get snack before bed time…u need to nip this in the butt. My step daughter lies all the damn time cause her mom dont give a fuck and lets her g ed t asay woth it. Bext time u catch her lying take something awayy like tv time or a fav toy for the rest of the day or night or make it so she only eats and goes straight to room and no playing. Lay down and go to sleep. If u dont tale care of this now its only gonna get worse and worse. My step daughter tried telling me her sister (my 4 yrold) was chasing her a kitchen knife and i knew that was a lie cause she qssn able to get ahole of anything like that cause she couldn reach it. She also lied about eating all the cupcakes in the fridge the one time. She got grounded. No snacks only water to drink. Lunch (had breakfast already after lying) and dinner ONLY that was it. Nothing else and sasn allowed to wstch what she qantsd to watch on tv which was cartoon network shows. And she had to stay in living room she aasn allowed to go upstairs and play. She learned her lesson real quick about what happens when u lie in my house.
Be Ware of lier 1 lie 2 lies ,lier lier your pants on fire. Tho lying is not cool, unless she’s filing income tax
Idk. My 5 year old tells me all kinds of crazy stuff…said if he gets 100 eagle bucks he gets to go to party. Or that his teacher said they dont have school the next day…I wouldn’t put to much thought into it.
Yes she could be outcast intimidated by other kids who are used to sports… attention… popularity…so a few theory’s of what it could have been just tell her you spoke with teacher…and he says it’s something else …is all you can say just ask again…how other kids treat her…what does she like to do whole playing …etc get her talking about the positives of this class…if she’s silent an won’t crack… someone could’ve bullying…you never no! Gain her trust she’ll talk…best wishes to you both I hope everything is fine and it will all work out!
I wouldn’t ignore the lie. My son will also be 6 in February. When I catch him in a lie I address the lie. “Why did you say you say out of gym?” That was a lie. Lying is not okay honey. Did you have in issue you want to talk about?
Maybe you should do a little visit at the gym when shes present (just don’t tell her…so whatever is you’ll know)…and keep an eye on her…maybe its something else and shes scared to say
I agree with the anxiety comments.
My youngest complained about stomach aches every Tuesday last year because of PE. He didn’t like being timed for the mile. I figured it out about 1/2 way through 1st grade with math facts that he got anxious when something put him under pressure. And now he is on his way to 7th grade with no more anxiety about being timed.
I would try ans figure it out gently because she isn’t necessarily “lying” it might just be the feeling she has because it is psychological and kids can make themselves sick.
Goos luck.
who really wants her to be in gym. class, is it you? maybe you’re living life through her and she really doesn’t want to be there but is afraid to disappoint you, that’s what it seems like,
Maybe she lied for attention
Be straight up. Tell her if she is dishonest with you then you won’t know what to believe, especially when the time comes and it’s her word against someone else’s (explain it so she gets it).
This is something kids do. Their lines between reality and “their world” are still blurred at that age. There’s the story of the boy who cried wolf, we all learned it for a reason (it’s the age, she’s perfectly normal).
Honestly, this is a kid thing. This is her testing the waters and experiencing this totally new place where you aren’t. My nieces did this in kindergarten. I think they said something like “That’s interesting! I’ll call and talk to your teacher.” This will give your child an opportunity to “come clean”. Then, have the conversation about lying. If she doesn’t “come clean”, you can tell her you called.
A lie is a lie. She is 5 yrs old. Let her know she lied to you. Let her know you called the teacher. Nip it in the bud now. Or major issues later on
Perhaps another child has sat out of gym class or maybe she watched a tv show where this happened my kids are grown adults now, but I found that if I felt they were not telling me the truth I would ask them why, you guys tiptoe around your kids and not have straight up conversations with the because it might hurt their feelings is a big reason why as they get older the dont talk to you at all
Honestly maybe the teacher isn’t being honest… she may think you will be upset that she did not give you the heads up about her stomach ache 
My daughter was stealing from the teacher and straight lying about it… had believable and really wierd bizarre stories… it took me a few weeks for her to finally admit it and when she did… she was very embarrassed but I still made her take the teachers stuff back and apologize… she balled her little eyes out scared to death to face her teacher… they just need consequences that make them never want to do what they did ever again.
As a teacher I can tell you, there’s something else she’s not telling you. I also suggest you talk to the gym teacher and your child together. Tell your cold she’s not in trouble, you’re just trying to help her with the tummy.
I wouldn’t read too much into it unless it continues after having a talk with her. I had something similar where my daughter who was in kindergarten lied about something no need for and I addressed it and told her I gave her the chance to tell me the truth and I told her I was going to talk to her teacher about it and she fessed up. We had a long talk about it hasn’t been a problem since. Good luck!
But as for the belly ache maybe it’s some sort of anxiety but I would talk to her about that separately from the lying
One of my son’s was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder at a young age. One of his most common go-to statements when he was not comfortable with something or was just overwhelmed was “my stomach hurts”
I would definitely not jump to she is lying because to her there may well be something going on that is making her stomach hurt. Either she is uncomfortable, being bullied…something that is causing her to be anxious.
Children can’t separate fact from fiction very well until 8/9 years old, she most likely isn’t aware that she’s “lying”
Oh for fucks sake. You’re the parent so parent. This is the problem , you’re afraid to scare a child who lied to you ? You sit her ass down and you tell her you spoke with the gym teacher and you know that she’s lying and ask why she lied and what’s going on. This is not a difficult situation and the fact that you need strangers for this is ridiculous. Be a parent - this doesn’t have to be a scary situation or bad situation. It’s just a situation that needs to be fixed. So do it
Has anyone not missed the part where she did go to gym and her belly wasn’t hurting? Which idk why any of yall are relating that to anxiety. Kids are freaking weird and lie for absolutely zero reason. Just sit her down and explain that lying is bad, why what she said was a lie, and explain what telling the truth is. Also asked if she’s afraid to tell you the truth and why.
Tell her that she can talk to u about anything and hopefully that would work if and when she ready too
She might be growing and just plain hungry.
A child with anxiety won’t say I’m nervous, they’ll say they have a belly ache! It’s a symptom
Show her the kids story of child who cried wolf. Then speak to her. And keep in contact with people who see her often and keep an eye on it. But kids with anxiety say the have belly ache (my daughter does)
When I was that age , I lied alot, but I also had a hard time differentiating between lies and telling stories. I told my parents a man came to our school with a gun when I was 6 and didn’t realize it wasn’t funny until my mom was crying on the phone with administration.
That said, when it comes to physical health it’s better to be safe than sorry. Make a doctors appointment. The worst thing that can happen is she tells you she lied. If you don’t take her, far worse things might happen.
She’s six and doesn’t understand what lying is yet. She may have mixed up wanting to stay out of gym because her belly hurt and actually staying out. I would let this one go
Throw her out of the damn house