Children telling tales is a common problem all parents face. Children under the age of 6 often tell tales and have difficulties distinguishing between reality and fantasy, and this is entirely different from lying. It’s just an expression of your child’s imagination and it doesn’t hurt anyone. However, if your child reaches 6 years old and keeps telling tales, he might be having a problem and you should discover what is pushing him to lie in order to stop that as soon as possible.
There are many reasons why a child exaggerates, tells lies or distorts the truth; it might be:
The fear of disappointing his parents or teachers
The fear of getting a punishment
The lack of attention
Considering that his listener will like him more if he lied
Imitating the behavior of the adults around him
To stop your child from telling tales consider the tips below:
Always model telling the truth and avoid any type of lies even the “little white lies”.
Discuss with your child the difference between the truth and lies and teach him the value of telling the truth. It might take some time, but you have to be patient!
There should be no accepted excuses for lying! Your child should know that you won’t tolerate any lies!
Sometimes children lie to you to keep you happy; this is why you should explain to them that you value the truth much more than any small act of misbehavior.
Avoid punishments and quick irrational decisions like telling your child that he’ll be grounded for a year if he lies one more time. Instead of punishing your child, talk to him to understand why he lied.
If your child’s lies become very frequent and you aren’t able to stop this situation take your child to a psychologist who will help you to discover your child’s problem and work it out.