My daughter believes something that isn't true :(

[floridastinks]

Today, a neighbor called me saying that she heard I fed my daughters dog food! of course my initial reaction was 2 laugh assuming she was kidding but quickly i realized she wasn't by her tone. She then told me that her daughter (who is here EVERY week day b4 & after school) is no longer allowed over because of this absurd accusation. I pressed her 2 give me details but she hung up! I immediately approached my two little girls (6 & 8) & told them that they aren't allowed 2 associate with the little girl & her teenage sister (who babysits) & told them the crazy accusation. My oldest daughter was shocked & immediately comforted me not 2 worry. But it was what my youngest said next that turned my stomach inside out. she said "you only did it once Mommy"! i nearly passed out! My oldest immediately turned to her & said "no she didn't!" & I started questioning her. she honestly thinks i did i feed her dog food & looked at me w/all the innocence of a child & said "maybe u forgot". i sent her 2 her room & ran 2 mine in tears. After I calmed down I approached my oldest & asked her what her sister is talking about. she told me that the neighbors teenager (who babysits) asked them if I fed them dog food & that she adamantly denied it.what concerns me is that my youngest appears 2 really believe this! I refuse 2 even feed them canned veggies out of fear of GMOS! I asked her 2 tell me the details & she said I didn't feed it 2 her &her sister but I did place 3 pieces on their plates 1 night @ dinner cause i was mad. Again, i approached the oldest & she is genuine in her statement that she recalls no such time but says she remembers 1night me joking w/them in front of the sitter that if they didn't eat their food that I would let them eat the dogs dinner. I honestly can't recall joking but I must believe her. what should I do? i can't afford a therapist & I don't know how 2 handle it.Should I report this?this could put our family at risk?what if she grows up thinking this?plz help

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Move on from this. It does not require any further attention. After all, your daughter is six years old. Your description of the events indicates why she said what she did. There is no point continuing to dwell on this. Neither you nor she needs an therapist about this.

[floridastinks]

so the neighbor came by to discuss with me in person and it turns out that it was a misunderstanding however, I still need advice on how to discuss this with my youngest daughter. How this all came to be was one day I paid a maid (i own a cleaning company) to come over and help me spring clean my home and rearrange the living room. We spent all day and then had to leave for another cleaning job. As we were getting ready to leave, I noticed dog food all over the newly cleaned floor and on the newly polished kitchen table because the kids were having another one of their "food experiments" like usual so angrily i said "if you put dog food on my table again, I'm going to make you eat it for dinner!" obviously, I didn't mean it seriously however, my youngest couldn't differentiate between me being serious and sarcasm. Plus, after I left, the babysitter (not knowing me well and taking the comment far more serious than it was intended) started drilling the girls about whether or not I had ever really made them eat dog food before. So this is where it all stemmed from. I wouldn't be normally concerned about this but I had another incident recently where I was running late getting home in time to meet the kids home from school so I called the girls on their cell phone and told them to walk home slowly, unlock the gate and NOT to go into the house but to sit on the porch at the table under the umbrella (to protect them from the FL heat) and do their homework till I got home (about 20 minutes). I asked them to call me once they got to the gate and to keep in touch till I got home. When I did arrive home, all was fine and I praised them because I had never had to leave them unattended before so I was proud that they were so responsible. Only to find out later that evening from a different neighbor/girlfriend that happened to come home that afternoon and see the girls outside talking (alone) to my male neighbor. My neighbor/girlfriend became concerned because she knows how over protective I am and approached my kids to make sure everything was okay. She said that the neighbor told her my youngest said that I had left them home alone and they didn't know where I was and couldn't reach me (all of that being untrue). So my concerns are WHY would my youngest be saying things like this? I imagine its for attention but rest assured, I give my kids constant attention and affection and I'm not sure how to address this so she doesn't continue this behavior and potentially cause me a real issue with state or another concerned anybody that doesn't know me and my family.  Can anyone offer me some advice as to how to talk with her and explain 1) that just because mommy says "shes mad and going to jump in the lake" that I am being sarcastic and not to take it literally and answer me this question 2) why would a loving, sweet child even behave in such a manner looking for attention when they receive so very much of it at home from me? I am always home, have never placed my kids in daycare and as attentive and loving as any mother can be! I'm truly baffled by this behavior and seeking some advice about how to address it with both girls....thank you