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How to Teach Kids to Tell the Truth

             Image from ET Online

Everyone can think of a time when they told a lie. Some may be small, and other maybe a little bigger. But everyone has experiences where they weren’t truthful. When I was a teenager I wanted my parents to give me a long leash. I felt like they never did, and so I made them think I was who they wanted me to be. I lied about everything. Who my friends were, where I was going, and what I was doing. It is one of my biggest regrets in life so far! I spend a lot of time trying to think of how one day I can teach my kids to avoid the heartbreak and embarrassment that comes with lying (without pushing them further away from me with their crazy teenage minds).  Here are some of the tips I found that were worthwhile, and applicable to kids of all ages, young and old (er)!

  • Don’t let your anger overpower you. Parents first reaction is to blow up. Its frustrating when someone lies to you, especially someone who is supposed to respect and obey you. Talk about the lie. The what, when, and why. Turn it into a learning experience instead of just throwing a punishment in their face. Now, you may decide that you child still needs a punishment to help them learn and motivate them not to do it again. But make sure you have that little chat and teach your child about lying and why it is wrong first.
  • Don’t set a trap. My parents did this all the time. When you set a trap for your child, you are pretty much asking them to cover it up with more lies. If you saw your child do something or found out they told you a lie, approach them with it straight up- don’t put them in a situation where its easier to lie to you than to tell the truth. Kind of defeats the whole learning experience idea.
  • Don’t call your child a liar. Kids tend to live up to the labels people give them- parents included.
  • If you catch your child red-handed in a lie, call them on it and give them an opportunity to go back and to tell the truth.
  • Take notice when your child tells the truth. As parents we are REAL good at picking out the things our kids do that are wrong, and not so much the everyday things they do right. Don’t hold back praise for your children when they make good choices and tell the truth!

*Tips were pulled from drrobynsilverman.com

 

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