The mother of a preschooler reports to the nurse that he frequently tells lies. The admission assessment of the child indicates possible child abuse. The nurse knows that his:

Question

Options

• ABehavior is not normal, and a child psychiatrist should be consulted.
• BMother is lying to protect herself.
• CLying is normal behavior for a preschool child who is learning to separate fantasy from reality.
• DBehavior indicates a developmental delay, because preschoolers should be able to tell right from

• A
  1% (1)
• B
  6% (4)
• C
  90% (62)
• D
  3% (2)

Explanation

(A) Because preschoolers often tell "stories" as they learn to differentiate fantasy from reality, the child's behavior is normal. (B) The nurse has no reason to believe the child's mother is lying, because children of his age often tell lies. (C) The child's lying is actually "storytelling" as he learns to separate fantasy from reality, a normal developmental task for his age group. (D) The child's behavior is consistent with his age and does not indicate a developmental delay.

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