Forum Index
»
Elementary School-Aged Kids
Telling Lies
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| My 7th grader has started telling little white lies that make no sense to me at all. Is this normal and how on earth do I deal with it? I can ask the smallest question - like "did you drop off your lunch check" and I am told yes then I later find the check in the backpack. Help! It's everyday and over stupid stuff. |
zumbamama
Member Offline
Member Offline
| It is normal for kids to lie, to test the limits to see how much they can get away with...so it's important to keep them in check and make a point about honesty and being trustworthy. My middle school daughter began lying about her homework so much, to the point where I would have to have her teachers sign every assignment, so that I could know she was writing her assignments down accurately. After the first few times catching her, lectures and losing privileges were not enough. I could no longer trust what she told me and so had to backcheck every little thing with her teachers for verification. It was exhausting, and I still have to keep tabs, but she knows now the consequences of lying. |
Anonymous
| Does this stop or is the child just branded a liar. I am so tired of not being able to believe what I am being told. I don't have the energy for it. |
Anonymous
|
I don't have a teenager, but I was one, once. I was a very "good" teen, but even I know that teens lie, a lot. I'm sure it's a developmental stage, as kids try to assert their independence, but that doesn't mean it's fun for the parents. I would try hard not to label your child as a liar, not to take it personally, but yes, try to find some solutions for dealing with this stage.
I'd say to do some reading on adolescence--there's got to be some good books out there. I see good reviews for "Raising Emotionally Intelligent Teenagers" by Maurice J. Elias, "How to Survive Your Teenager" by Beth Reingold Gluck, "Staying Connected to Your Teenager" by Michael Riera, and "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!" by Michael J. Bradley. (A snippet from a review of the last book on Amazon: "While 95 percent of the brain develops in early childhood, the most advanced parts aren't completed until adolescence is nearly over. As a result, teens can appear unstable, dysfunctional and unpredictable, with temporarily impaired judgment and decision-making processes.") Good luck! |