It wasn’t me Daddy! You must have heard your 5-year old say
that you at some point or other, when you knew it was in fact he who did it. How do you deal with
your kid, knowing he is lying to you? When your child lies to you, remember he is not doing it on
purpose. The reasons why kids lie are:
Short-Term Memory:
Children in the age group of five have short-term memory. If your kid tells you he didn’t do it,
chances are that he does not remember doing any thing wrong.
Wishing it
away: Often, children wish that the wrong did not happen, and tend to believe that it
actually did not. So, if your child denies a wrong, he simply might be convinced that he did not do
it.
Imagination: A five-year-old child has a very fertile imagination, and loves to conjure
up fantasy worlds of his own. He lives in a fantasy world, and thinks that all of it is actually
true.
Fear of disapproval: Your kid does not want to disappoint
you. He might fear the fact that a mistake could upset you, and he does not want to be in that
situation. He tries to avoid that by lying to you.
Feel good factor: Your child wants to
impress not just you, but also himself. He makes up stories to ‘enhance’ his amazing feats. There is
an underlying desire for approval from parents that leads kids to come up with such
tales.
Seeking attention: Children often desire attention from
people around them. Your kid can easily learn that a tall one definitely will elicit a reaction from
you, and decides to play his cards. He does not care if the response is not positive, his motive has
been met – you reacted to his tale. He is successful in getting the attention he seeks this
way.
Control: Kids often love to be in control of a situation,
and make believe situations where they are in control.
Testing
parents: It may sound frustrating to you, but your kid at this age is constantly trying to
test the limits you will allow him to go. This gives them an understanding of their own powers in
the household. They resort to stretching the truth as one of the ways to do
this.