This is sooooo embarrassing to ask but ................................how does one deal with a child (6 1/2 y/o ) that lies???!!! It's not big huge lies (like the baby made me do it :D ) but the variety to get out of doing something (i.e. prayers or making her bed). It drives me nuts (and makes me feel extremely guilty since I remember doing it as a child so I didn't get screamed at by my father - He was a big-time screamer :rolleyes: ) Most of the times it's over things that I can easily catch her doing (or NOT doing). I just hate the fact that she is even trying to purposely lie. She also has a habit of "tuning" everyone (me and her dad) out when we ask her to do something - brush her teeth, get ready for bed, come to the dinner table, etc....

Anyone have any ideas on how to nip this in the bud?? I'm getting desperate and I hate battling her over these things.

HTH

Not embarrassing...I think it's pretty "normal". Just caught my dd (71/2) in her first lie (at least the only one I've known about :0). She didn't tell the truth about brushing her teeth. I took away a big privledge, something she was really looking forward too. I felt so bad doing it, but I needed to make an impact. Here's what I did: took away a privledge, told her that if she had just said, "nope, I didn't brush" and ran off to do it, I wouldn't have gotten mad, and talked about truthfulness (told the ole story of the boy who cried wolf).

I think what bothers me is that there was no reason to not tell the truth, but she chose not too.

I'm looking for help too....who's been there and done that??

;)

I'm dealing with the exact same thing with my 5 year old. I have a feeling that it is a phase.(Oh, please, God, let it so).I hope we get some ideas!!!

First off, don't ask questions that you know your child will be tempted to lie about, such as "Did you hit your brother?" when you already know the answer. That is only encouraging them to lie. Instead say "You may not hit your brother". Of course, that is probably not a big problem with girls :)

Secondly, when child does say something like "The dog knocked over the plant, not me", say "I know you wish it wasn't you who did it". In this way you are acknowledging that you know what actually happened and you understand that they wish it wasn't their fault.

Anyway, the point is, young children just do this. If we adults don't let them profit from it, they won't grow up to be habitual liars. It isn't a big awful thing. I know it is scary to think of things growing to become awful habits when they are older, but this isn't likely to become one.

Good luck,
Cary