When parents first notice that their child is lying, they often panic and do not know how to deal with the child's lies. Psychologists advise, first of all, to understand the causes of this phenomenon.
Parents need to know that the lies of preschoolers are not self-serving. The lies of a small child can be either a consequence of the active work of a rich imagination, or a means of protecting a small person from possible punishment or discontent from adults. You should never punish or ridicule a child for a rich imagination, which can find its expression in the most fantastic stories. If a child, returning from kindergarten, says that today he built a spaceship for a walk or saw a live crocodile in the bushes, do not rush to accuse him of lying. On the contrary, ask him in detail about these amazing incidents, show a friendly interest. However, you should not recklessly poke all children's inventions. Fantasies that develop an illusory, unrealistic idea of the child about himself and his place in the world should not be encouraged. If the child says, “I am superman. I kill villains”, it is desirable to correct him with the words:“Would you like to be a superman and help people?”Sometimes preschoolers lie, wanting to appear more attractive in the eyes of others. Such a lie is distinguished from harmless fantasies by a high degree of credibility. Such behavior is an alarming signal that the child either lacks attention, or he believes that he cannot be of interest to others on his own. A common reason for child deception is the desire to hide his wrongdoing from adults. As a rule, this desire is dictated by the fear of punishment. In this case, you should not put pressure on the child and force him to confess what he had done. Such pressure will only lead the child to invent new false excuses for himself. Leave him the opportunity to admit his own wrongdoing, and after listening to the confession, be sure to praise the baby - after all, admitting your mistakes is very difficult even for an adult.
