Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“What would you do if you got blamed for something that wasn't actually your fault?”
What to listen for
If they talk about calmly explaining what really happened, they're showing they feel secure enough to trust that the truth will be heard and that things can be made right.
If they describe getting upset, shutting down, or giving up on explaining, they might need more reassurance that you'll always hear their side first before deciding anything, that builds the safety to speak up instead of going quiet.
If they say "I don't know," ask if this has actually happened before and what it felt like in the moment.
What this tells you
This tells you how confident they feel that fairness and truth will win out when things get mixed up.