From the School Counsellor 

Be Curious

Kids tell lies sometimes; this does not mean they are bad. It is all part of growing up and testing the boundaries. Lying is a developmentally appropriate milestone, and younger kids don’t intrinsically know it’s wrong.

If you KNOW your child is lying instead of getting angry, try being curious. There are usually feelings and reasons for any behaviour. 

Reason #1: Self-control is still developingHelp your child see the value in what you expect of them“ It looks like your vegetables are still on your plate. We eat our vegetables to make us grow healthy and strong.”

Reason #2: They confuse wishes with realityInvite your child to restate what they wish had happened – then relabel it truthfully.“You mean you wished you had done your homework already?”

Reason #3: They want to avoid negative emotions (yours and theirs) Separate their behaviour from who they are and avoid shame.“ It looks like you are very mad at your brother. Hitting is not allowed.

”Most importantly we want to model truth telling ourselves and create a safe environment to practice: “

Telling the truth takes practice. You can always come back and try again. You’ll never get in trouble for telling the truth.” 

When you get curious about why your child is lying, you can work through it together.(Source: Big Life Journal)