When a child begins to tell lies it can become a cause for worry for parents. You wonder where he learnt how to lie. Will he grow up to become a pathological liar? If you are religious you consider taking him for prayers? If you like to whoop, you attempt to flog the spirit of lying out of his system. How can you help a lying child? See a few things you should know:
All Lying is Bad, But not all Lying is Equal
Some lies are malicious; they are told to harm another person. Other lies are uttered under the pressure of the moment, perhaps to avoid embarrassment or punishment. While all lying is wrong, some lies are more serious than others. If your child told a lie, consider his age and his reason for hiding the truth.
Address the problem while the Child Is Young
Do not say, he is just a child, when he grows up he will learn. Address the problem now that he’s growing up. Because if the child gets away with lying now, it will become part of his lifestyle. Telling the truth, especially when it’s hard, is an important lesson for children. Relationships are based on trust, and lying will break that trust.
Do not Over-react
The fact that your child has lied does not mean that he is on a fast track to moral corruption. Some children manifest such foolishness by lying, perhaps thinking that it is an easy way to avoid punishment. How you respond, then, is important.
Try To Understand why the Child is Lying
Does he fear punishment? Does he not want to disappoint you? If your child spins stories to impress his friends, is it because he is not old enough to understand the difference between reality and fantasy? If you know why your child is lying, you as a parent will be better able to correct him.
Praise Honesty
Children naturally desire to please their parents, so use that inclination to your advantage. Let your kid know that honesty is an important family value and that you therefore expect him to be truthful. Make clear to your child that lying destroys trust and that it can take a long time to rebuild trust once it is broken. Reinforce good behavior by praising him when he tells the truth.
Set the Example
If you are a compulsive, pathological liar, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. When your kid sees that lying is normal to you, they will also tell lies. You cannot expect your child to be truthful if he hears you say such things as Tell him I’m not home when you do not want to speak to someone on the phone or I’m staying home sick today when you really just want to relax.
Children are different, unique, each in his own way. As you try to adjust your child, help them in a loving way, do not say hurtful things to them, and do not whoop them like criminals.
