Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“Has there been a time you got blamed for something that honestly wasn't your fault?”
What to listen for
If they tell the story with real feeling, that unfairness clearly still stings, validating it (rather than immediately trying to fix or explain it away) is what actually helps them let it go.
If they add 'and no one believed me' as part of the story, that's important, it suggests they need to know you, at least, will hear their side fully before deciding what's true.
If they say it's never happened, that could be true, or it could mean past unfair blame didn't feel safe enough to bring up, leave the door open by mentioning it's happened to you too.
What this tells you
This shows you whether your child feels like their version of events gets a fair hearing when it matters.