According to a research done amongst teenagers, almost 96% of teenagers tend to lie. If this is the bad news, then the good news is, if your teenage kid is a part of this 96%, it is possible for you to encourage them to give up that habit. It is possible to bring about a behavioral change in them, and reduce lying habit. Here are a few ways through which this can be achieved.
Tips to Keep your Teenager from Lying
Many teenagers tend to lie about everything, from their grades, to the places they are going and all other matters. Here are some tips using which you can reduce this tendency in your children.
Get Connected
It is important that you have a good connection with your kid so that they can feel comfortable in discussing things with you. At times, parents become too authoritarian and highlight strict discipline over emotional bonding. Make sure you do not judge your kids when they are telling something difficult to you. Make them feel secure while discussing their problems with you.
Become the Ideal
Always try to practice what you preach. If you are encouraging your children to be honest and forthright, then it is better that you set an example for them to follow. Many adults use white lies which confuse the children, and they cannot make out the situations where lies are sort of acceptable.
Negotiate Gently
Negotiation can be a good idea when you are actually trying to change the behavior of your kid(s). Many times children lie to get some permission for things which they believe that their parents will not give. In such cases, if you are open to negotiations, such as you permit them to go to a party provided they pick your phone and return home within a fixed hour, then you can actually stop your kids from lying to you.
Don’t Embarrass them
Do not trap your kid when you are sure they are lying. This results in lack of trust on both sides. And if you wish to reduce your children’s lying habit, it will never work without complete trust from both the sides. Also it is better that you do not interrogate your kid(s) in an angry manner even when you have caught them lying. You should try to discipline them in a wise way.
Thus, it can be seen that if you manage to gain the trust of your children, you will easily be able to stop them from lying.