Dealing with Lying Kids

It may sound odd, but you need to remain calm when you
discover your kid is lying to you. As a responsible Dad, you do not want to encourage this behavior,
but know that your kid has a sense of right and wrong. Would he lie to you if he did not feel that
he had done wrong? Take it in your stride and move on. Take comfort in the fact that your child can
discriminate between what’s right and what’s not.

Find out the reason why your
kid is lying. If he is boasting unduly, he just might be seeking attention and appreciation, or
showing off. You can tackle that by praising him lavishly at his true achievements.

Kids need
reassurance from you from time to time. They lie to you because they fear that you will not love
them anymore for the mistake they made. You need to tell your kid that you do love him despite his
misgivings. Tell your child that you trust him and that he can trust you, too. Try to fulfill
promises you made, and if you cannot, apologize.
 
Clarify your expectations from your
child. Make use of various situations to demonstrate acceptable behavior. He needs to know what is
okay, and what is not. You need to provide clearly defined limits for your child, and he will
eventually come to understand and respect those.