Yeah, isn't this more of an FML for the dad?

It's a kid. Tell them to go outside and play. Then have a good laugh.

It doesn't necessarily mean the kid heard something mom said. The child could just be really observant of situations around her. I told my mother when I was in kindergarten that her and my father were going to get a divorce and that I believed they should. I maintained that stance right up until the point they actually did divorce when I was in seventh grade. The reason was because I saw the way my father treats people, including his wife and kids. I saw the way he made my mother feel no matter how much she tried to hide it. I put all that together and came to the conclusion that they were two people who should not remain together. I knew all this without either one of my parents having to bad mouth the other to me. A thing which thankfully they have never felt the need to do. The OP's child could be observing similar behavior. The OP could be one of those "we have to hang on for the kids" people and not realizing how much it shows.

35: I agree that children are very sensitive to the things going on around them and pick up greatly on behaviour. However I also think that the daughter has heard that sentence before. It's not typically a sentence (even grammar wise) that a 5 year old would say. I think she may have heard someone say that jokingly to her mom or she's heard it from somewhere else. I also understand that you picked up on your parents situation and felt that your dad wasn't treating people right and felt that they would be better apart, but if you were in kindergarten (4-5) then you probably heard the word divorce from someone else and applied it to your parents situation as well. Chances are the daughter has heard that sentence before, felt that it applied to her mom (maybe she sees her mother working around the house more and feels her dad doesn't do much) and that's why she said it. Either way it's pretty funny.

I actually didn't use the word divorce specifically. I told her they wouldn't be living together anymore and that would be good. I didn't actually know that there was a legal process involved in leaving people. I just thought all she had to do was move elsewhere. I was more just trying to specify that the sentiment may actually be what the child feels more so than someone else told her to feel it or think it.

Missed the edit point but I also want to ask since when is "You could have done better than..." a sentence most 5 year olds don't know or use? From babyhood on people "You could have done better than that" and it's variations. It wouldn't be hard for any child to figure out what that sentence means and put it to a context that seems appropriate.

I have a 5 year old sister that says more complex things all the time. She used the phrase "once in a blue moon" earlier, correctly, and that's something I don't even say. From being around people to watching TV, children's vocabulary and syntax grows pretty quickly. I have no trouble imagining a 5 year old saying this! OP, hopefully you take a look at your situation and see how it's affecting your daughter for her to say this. While it could be something random (while kids say complex stuff sometimes, it can be completely unfounded, kids do love to hear themselves speak), if your husband isn't treating you guys well, maybe a family (or just adult) talk is in order. Good luck :)

Five year old children aren't stupid. Children understand a lot more than we think, even if they don't have the verbal skills to express it all. It also depends on the child. Some children are a lot more observant than others. Trust me, I used to be a preschool teacher. Even at 3 years old, children sense ad understand a lot more than their parents think.

So basically she's trying to break her parents up so that she'll get twice the presents? Genius.

It would be worse for her, at least

yyyyeah.... anyone who thinks children don't lie has never actually met one.

I agree. I find it hard to believe that she hasn't heard that sentence before. Maybe someone has told her mom that jokingly and she overheard, or maybe she's heard it from somewhere else, but that's not the type of sentence a five year old would say without having heard it somewhere else first. There's also a good chance she doesn't fully know what it means. It is pretty funny though hearing that from a 5 year old. :)