Of all behavioral problems that arise in children, the nastiest is lying.
It is a skill that comes naturally in very early stages of life.
Lying is the act of opposing the truth and stating an alternative instead.
Children most often lie in order to stay away from blaming, scolding, or punishment.
No matter how old your child is, teaching the child about lying needs a proper stratagem.
Remember that a single strategy doesn’t apply for all situations. This is because all children lie at some or the other time, but a few do it overly than others. Also, the reasons for lying in children are different at different situations.
Why do children lie?
Teaching the children about lying is a challenging task for every parent. As a parent, get succeed in your challenge by going through the modes of lying in children so as to identify the key to handle the condition accordingly.
Children of all ages more commonly lie to stay away from blaming and punishment for the mistake they do. Some children tell an open lie to conceal their fault and guilt. Guiltiness, nervousness, and fear are the basic emotions that make children lie.
Children, on the other hand, lie just for fun and fantasy. It is especially more common in children at younger age. Some children are so specialized that their tall tales flow very easily and interestingly. This kind of lie creates a playful approach at this stage. A child lying as fantasy is not at all a problem if the child knows that it is just imaginary.
Regularly lying for unnecessary reasons can develop into compulsive lying in children, where lying becomes a habit. This kind of lying is more serious and need to be handled regularly. The habit in children makes them good at lying where nobody can recognize it.
How to stop lying in children?
Lying in children is a very serious issue that needs to be handled appropriately. Here are some simple guidelines to help you stop lying in your child.
- Teach the value of honesty to your child by becoming role model, as children often observe parents closely and try to act similarly. Remember that telling a small lie also makes your child to do the same. As a parent, your job is only to teach your child about lying and not to punish them. Never punish your child for telling the truth, as it makes your child to lie forever.
- Never criticize your child. Instead, encourage your child with the statements that increases faith in the child’s overall honesty and goodness and at the same time point out the behavior.
- Appreciate your child when he/she does things in a better and efficient way. Never try to stress on outcomes. Doing so can make your child go into shortcuts to succeed. In case, if fails to succeed, the child will opt lying. On the other hand, tell your child that lying can lead to damaging effects on the relationships and self-confidence.
Re-establish honesty and self-respect in your child with these guidelines!
