Why kids lie | What to do when children lie

It all starts with those little white lies. Do you feel your child’s been feeding you those off late? Perhaps, it’s about something as simple as his/her break-time activity or who he/she spoke to during school hours. Has it gotten you worried? It’s not as worrisome as it seems to you at the moment. But there is a lot that you can do to help by understanding what causes a child to lie. Further to which you can remedy the problem through a few simple measures. This read takes you through both the above-mentioned topics and helps you deal with lying in preschoolers.

What makes these tiny-tots lie?

1. Just forgetting

As basic as it sounds, your child sometimes lies simply because he/she forgets. During playtime, your kid might casually keep another’s toy elsewhere and forget about it.

2. Those pipe dreams

You may be unaware but like adults, even kids engage in fanciful thoughts. In fact, in case a child is questioned about a wrong-doing of theirs, he/she might flat out deny you. This is because your child wishes the act never happened at all.

3. It is because of their deep-rooted imagination

You wouldn’t believe the pace at which thoughts are running in your child’s mind. And sometimes a child believes all that he/she imagines is actually true. And that’s where he/she might formulate that next lie.

4. To be in the limelight

Sometimes a lie is all it takes for a parent to shift their complete focus on the child. Whether positive or negative, a child doesn’t really pay attention to the nature of the response. All he/she wants is perhaps your undivided attention. This factor could be the cause of that next lie.

5. For that heroic feel

Kids sometimes project the situation in a manner to glorify themselves before their parents. What’s the cause of this? It’s simply to get that pat on the back from their parents.

Now that the causes a preschooler might lie are known to you, what are you going to do about it? Just the way you approach the situation can impact it in an unimaginable way. Read along, who knows some of these tips might just result in your child growing up, to be an honest individual.

How To Prevent them from lying

1. Weigh your words

Instead of blatantly blasting your child for his/her wrongdoing you can rather say what you have to in the right way. Rather than issuing a command, you can say something like, ‘I wonder how these bits of paper are strewn on the floor? Can you help me tidy up?’

2. Be thoughtful

That juice spill that you blast your little one for, might even happen with you. Just remember this, and understand your little one before blasting him/her off.

3. Stories on Honesty

Your little one is not going to understand the virtues of honesty by simply conversing with you. But you can still instill this value in him/her through a story. Few good reads on the topic are, ‘The Boy who cried wolf’ and ‘The Honest Woodcutter.’

4. Love no matter what

Your child might fear speaking up about certain things, due to fear of your reaction. Hence, the next time he/she breaks a piece of your chinaware, simply let the matter go with love.

5. Let there be trust

In order to receive honesty, it’s imperative for you to be honest. If your little one is due for a doctor visit for a vaccination, tell him/her the truth as it is.

We at Eden Castle Preschool wish for all our Edenites to choose a path that’s righteous and truthful. And that can be easy to achieve by setting the foundation right from a young age.