Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

My four-year-old daughter has begun an awful habit. Lying. :angry: I know that many parenting books say that lying is typical in preschoolers, but let me tell you, that’s a habit I find critical to break. One parent I spoke with a few months back said, “All my kids lie. It’s what kids do.”

I don’t know about you, but all I could think was: Not in my household.

My parents always taught me from a very young age that I should always tell the truth, even if it meant getting into trouble. Because if they found out I was lying, it meant double trouble. :shocked: They were very good about following through on that one, as my backside could attest.

As for my daughter, the lies have been pretty benign so far. Last night I asked her if she’d brushed her teeth, and she said yes. Then when she found out her dad was having watermelon, she said, “Can I have watermelon? I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”

Needless to say, not only did she NOT get watermelon, but she was also sent straight to bed. Maybe that makes me a big old mean Mommy, but I believe in giving the smackdown on the little things, so we never have to deal with the bigger incidents. When she goes through her teenage years, I want her to always tell me the truth, and I really believe that I have to set the precedent now.

Later, I went in to have a chat with her, after she’d been in bed for about thirty minutes. We talked about what lying is and why you should never lie to your parents. I think she understood. We’ll see how things go from here on out.

It’s funny how, when you have kids, at first everything is physical–changing diapers, feeding them, teaching them how to crawl or walk. And as they get older, things shift into more emotional territory. Sometimes, I think the baby years are easier! :help:

What about you? What’s your opinion on kids who lie?