When Children Lie to You
Page Two
For deceitful (instead of exaggerating) lies, bring the problem directly to your child's attention rather than trying to trap him further. For example, already knowing who the guilty party is, instead of saying "Joey, do you know what happened to the money on the table?" it is much better to simply say, "Joey, I saw the money in your room." Statements like this, offered in a factual rather than an accusatory manner, give children the opportunity to tell the truth, even if it is belated.
Once you have calmly brought the problem to your child's attention, without condemning or pressuring, let him know you are concerned and would like to know what happened. If you let your children know you aren't going to lose your temper or punish them in anger, most children will open up. You might say something like this: "Son, I realize we all have a tendency to hide the truth, but in the end it works out better not to lie. If you are afraid I will be angry with you or punish you in anger, I want you to know I won't. I may need to discipline you to help you do better next time, but I will not be angry at you for telling me the truth. It's very important for us to be honest with each other."
 When children feel secure in
our love and know that we are
gracious and forgiving, they
find it a lot easier to tell the truth.
Once he tells the truth, let him know you understand why he was afraid to be honest with you. This opens pathways of communication and makes honesty easier in the future. If you think he needs more discipline than he can receive from your talk, set a meaningful consequence that will remind him to think twice the next time.
Probably the most confusing lies are the repeated, gross untruths given out by pathological liars. Fortunately this is rare, but a few children seem to have lost sight of either the realities of the world or their own moral sensibilities. Even when caught in blatant distortions, they refuse to admit their dishonesty. These children are likely to get involved in delinquent acts. Since pathological lying can reflect a severe mental or emotional problem, they are in need of professional help.
Children need to know why honesty is so important. If we aren't honest, people can't trust us. They also need to know that while we may need to discipline them, we are also gracious and forgiving. When children feel secure in our love and know that we will be gracious and forgiving, they find it much easier to tell the truth.
From Help I'm a Parent
by Dr. Bruce Narramore
Zondervan Publishing House
Copyright © 1995 by Bruce Narramore
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