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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