Lying is part of the growing process of learning how to walk. As children grow, their frequency of telling lies increases. Lying is, however, not encouraged. Therefore, parents must become mindful and take steps to reduce lying in their children.
Parents can therefore adopt the following steps to reduce lying in their child.
- Give a compliment for telling the truth – Parents are most likely to suffer from negativity bias and react negatively when a child lies. When a child gets punished for telling the truth, it may cause them to lie because of fear of punishment. Parents must learn to give a good compliment and never punish their children when they tell the truth. This will encourage them to tell the truth.
- Model truth-telling – Parents should be aware that children learn more by observation than by conversation. It is key that parents pay attention to their behaviour. Parents who tell lies in the presence of their children will be indirectly teaching them how to tell a lie. Parents would have to be mindful of their actions. Children usually get confused when their parents preach virtues and practice vice.
- Practice scenarios – Parents would have to cultivate the habit of using stories and scenarios to communicate with their children. Stories communicate moral lessons. For instance, the story of the shepherd boy teaches the moral lesson of not telling a lie.
By Dr Etepe Dugah