They are common and we must learn to deal with them assertively.
Children may be tempted to lie constantly and that does not make them bad, but it is important that we stop these behaviors since failure to do so in time can generate recurring behaviors that become normal, which in the future may have consequences negatives and problems to socialize.
According to Alan Kazdin, professor of Child Psychology and Psychiatry at Yale University and director of the Parenting Center at the same institution, the best way to eliminate or reduce lying in children is to form the habit of telling the truth, that is , the key is to practice and build a habit. The expert comments that to achieve this there are two ways to do it.
One is to praise them when they tell the truth and you shouldn’t do it every time they say something real, but doing it constantly motivates them to want to do it to get your approval. If you discover a lie, which can be easy since sometimes they tend to fall into exaggerated stories, you should tell him that I can’t do that and that he may have problems with lying. You should not shout or raise your voice, but you should have an assertive and forceful tone.
The second way to avoid lying is to lead by example. Remember that you cannot ask your child to tell the truth when he sees that you are also lying. However pious a lie it is, don’t do it and above all, don’t force him to lie for you in other situations.