What Dr. Ann Corwin, The Parenting Doctor, Has To Say About Lying

Most parents start to realize their kids are liars between the ages of 5 and 7. Some of you might remember the show with Bill Cosby called “Kids Say the Darnest Things”? All the kids on that show were kids this age because whatever a child thinks and feels at this age they say. They have language down to a science by talking in full sentences and telling stories. In school, they are learning by story telling and they still want their parents to read them stories all the time.

KIDS NEED TO PRACTICE THIS STORY TELLING SKILL.
Since story telling at this age is how they learn to communicate as well as acquire new information. It also provides a way for the child to practice listening to others as they tell stories and discovering how others listen and react to them as they tell their own story.

This story telling is misunderstood as the beginning of lying. Parents are horrified that their child would make up such a ‘tall tale’ and cannot understand why their child would do such a thing. The answer is your child is practicing a new skill, how to tell a story.

Since we do not want to discourage story telling, but do want our children to learn how to tell the truth it becomes extremely important teach your child the difference between a ‘real’ and ‘pretend’ story.

So, whenever your child tells you a story you know didn’t really happen, don’t call them a liar, but instead say, “That was quite a story, even though it didn’t really happen, so just remember to call it a pretend story the next time you tell it”. Then when you know their story really did happen call it that by saying, “Wow, that is a real story, it did happen, thank for telling me”.

Don’t be too quick to label your kids as liars when in fact they are just practicing a very important story telling skill.