Update: DS reports that kids kept asking him how old he is. He told them 5 1/2 but they said, "No, you're not!" and insisted that you have to be at least 6 to be in 2nd grade. His solution? He said, "Oh, I was just kidding. I'm 6 1/2." That seemed to satisfy them.

He told me this kind of sheepishly on the way home from school as if he thought I would be upset about him lying. But I said that how old people are isn't that important, so if he wants to tell them he's 6 1/2, it doesn't matter to me.

I don't know if that was the right thing to say or not, but it seemed like the right thing at the time.

I think it's fine. The day after DS12 turned 4, someone asked him his age -
"I'll be 5 on my next birthday."
He started fibbing about his age soon after that - IF he thought he could get away with it.

The "right thing at the time" is definitely the way to go. We've gone through all sorts of mutations of the "how old is DS?" question! He's such an enigma at the high school, that no one really knows for sure. (It doesn't help that his sister doesn't correct erroneous information!)

And his Lego League coach, no matter how many times I tell him the correct age, just adds a few more years in time. It's pretty funny watching his shocked expression whenever the issue comes up (again).

I can't remember how DS answered those questions early on, but for now, he pretty much sticks to the truth and shrugs his shoulders at disbelief. Even DD11's teachers didn't believe her when she first talked about our unusual situation.

Good. I feel better about it. Lying wouldn't occur to me, and I'm a terrible liar, but if it works for DS, I guess that's ok.