there are situations like the one where your boys confused a possum outside the window for a rat but there’s also situations where kids are trying to tell you an actually problem they need help with cause their kids. It’s better to be safe then sorry when it comes to animals, and if the kids are scared of a safe situation or just lied to you, explain to them why they shouldn’t be scared or why they shouldn’t lie.

Additionally, this was in a home and not a school. I can’t blame you for not checking everything your kids tell you, they probably tell you a lot of things but if a child in your home said something, wouldn’t you at least check?