Well I approached it in stages!  My three year old Grandlove loves nothing better than knowing what is the surprise desert for supper, and he is quite excited to be included in "adult" secrets.  Like know what the gift is, you have to take it slow and not be disappointed if the secret gets leaked!  It is great fun sharing secrets!

But as with my kiddies you have to have the talk.  That secrets are fun and for sharing but if someone asks you to keep a secret that is not right, you have to know the difference.  Not good secrets is if someone is being hurt.  Either body wise or their feelings.  To use secrets to do bad things to hide or exclude someone is not right.  So in teaching secrets you are asking your child to know the difference.  Always I told my kiddies, if it does not feel right you tell the secret to Mommy or Daddy and we will help you.

At five years old the concept of keeping secrets can be taught. Keep it simple and use examples, like when we give gifts we want the receiver to be suprised, so we can see the joy of them not knowing and being suprised by the gift... well, you'll say it way better then that but thats it in a nut shell!

Cheers Raven