Ever wondered why children lie?
Have you come across a situation where you know a child is lying? The child may be adamant they didn’t hurt that other child but you saw it with your own eyes. What would you do in this circumstance? There may be a number of reasons why children lie; nine times out of ten children don’t do this intentionally.
Reasons why children lie;
- Children will often tell lies to avoid getting told off. They know deep down they were caught out but would rather tell a white lie and blame someone else. In these cases children who lie because of this reason will find it hard to keep friends as those who are accused will no longer want to be their friends.
- Children will often receive mixed messages from either parent’s or on the television; this then gives them the imagination to bend the truth themselves. Children will find it increasing hard to begin to understand what is right and was is wrong. Parents need to ensure that when they convey messages to children they are free from mixed messages.
- Understanding reality is something children struggle with until the age of about seven or eight. Children from a young age will believe in superheroes and made up characters, they will often use this in their lies saying so and so did it. Younger children are more into fantasy play rather than reality and will use their superhero character to change the facts to help them tell a white lie.
- When children are engaged in imaginative play they will often tell a few lies, this is part of them developing their cognitive abilities. It can be very frustrating for adults when children tell lies, however, it can help children learn about the world and more about themselves. It can also help their social skills
It is important to understand that children lie at some point in their life , knowing that this is part of their development will reduce the frustration displayed by adults