Liar, liar -- Why tweens do it
Here's Liz Atwood with Tween Tuesday:
When my son was a toddler, he was painfully truthful. It was impossible to play hide and seek with him because when he was hiding and I’d come looking, I’d say, “Where can you be?” And he would pop out from behind the curtains or underneath the bed, and declare: “I’m here!” No matter how many times I tried to explain that the idea was to stay hidden, he would always want to let me know where he was.
Now that toddler has turned into a tween, and his never-failing honesty has begun to slip. Usually, it’s over small matters – straightening his room, walking the dog, finishing his homework. But it’s nevertheless upsetting to see that the son whom I’d always thought completely honest has learned how to lie.
This month’s Scholastic Parent & Child magazine talks about why tweens lie and offers strategies for how to deal with it. Among the suggestions:
- Show the importance of honesty by being honest yourself
- Make it safe to tell the truth
- Try to find out why the child doesn’t want to be straight with you
- Preserve her autonomy and self esteem
Do you find your tween lying or at least stretching the truth? What do you do?
