Make it clear that you value honesty and that you want to hear the truth even if it is something difficult to hear. Praise their efforts and acknowledge their honesty even if the outcome of their honesty may not have been what they were expecting.Īt the same time, encourage your child to communicate openly with you. This will reinforce the importance of honesty and encourage them to continue telling the truth. Besides being a role model for honesty, make sure you praise them for it when your child is honest. And who knows, that little lie might just be a sign that they are developing some pretty advanced cognitive skills!Īnyway, you don’t want your child to grow up to be an expert liar. Instead, recognise that lying is a normal and important part of a child's development. So, the next time you catch a child in a lie, don't be too quick to judge. Learning to lie requires children to have cognitive self-control to suppress the truth and an understanding of something simple but profound: what they know might be different from what others know.Īlso Read: Low to moderate stress lowers chance of depression, antisocial behaviour Their intention may be to affect the listener's behaviour, such as avoiding punishment or receiving a reward.īut, lying for very-young children is actually a sign of cognitive development.

At first, children may lie to achieve a goal or reward by saying something they know or believe to be false. Interestingly, there is a developmental progression to lying. And just like adults, children may also lie to demonstrate power, maintain privacy, or protect a friend.Īlso Read: Children in films, TV, reality shows: New guidelines issued to ensure safer working conditions

They may lie to avoid punishment, gain an advantage, protect themselves from an unwanted consequence, or even boost their self-esteem. As children grow older, their reasons for lying become more complex, similar to those of adults.

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