Minor Dilemmas: Understanding why kids lie and how parents should respond
By
Albert Burneko
Summary
In this installment of Defector's Minor Dilemmas advice column, Albert responds to a reader's question about children lying to their parents. The reader reflects on a previous Funbag discussion where a mother defended her son from a theft accusation, noting that parents are often the last to know when their kids lie. Albert explores the psychology of childhood lying, why kids lie, how parents can respond constructively, and the importance of maintaining trust while acknowledging that lying is a normal part of child development.
Source
DefectorMinor Dilemmas: Understanding why kids lie and how parents should responddefector.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledAnyone who works with kids or teens knows that they frequently do lie, and often the parents are the only ones who don't know it (or want to admit it).
The question isn't whether your child will lie to you — it's how you handle it when they do.
Kids lie for all sorts of reasons: to avoid punishment, to test boundaries, to protect someone, or simply because their imagination is still developing.
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