I love children and their imaginations and I've heard or read that children sometimes can't tell the difference between reality and those other thoughts that swirl around in their dear little heads until they are 6 or 7 years old (depending on the child, of course). So I always tried to be gentle when one of my children or now, my grandchildren, told me a whopper.
First of all it can be highly entertaining for me and it is good for little ones to use and stretch their imaginations. They could grow up to be writers or artists or storytellers and then it is good practice for the teenage years too! So, I listen to their story and then remind them that it was a story -- and a good one! Sometimes you can tell the child must have dreamed the sequence of events and you can remind them that the wonderful story was a dream and happened in their sleep. Of course, if it a frightening dream, they need a hug and reassurance.
Morghan Grace, a few months back told me an especially charming story of how she kept a bunny rabbit in the house all one winter without her Mama knowing. The mama rabbit naturally had babies and Morghan got to witness that and then she had the chore of hiding a mama rabbit and a bunch of babies. We were both giggling by the time she got done; we both knew she was telling a story. And we both enjoyed every minute of it!
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