Call them lies, whoppers, or outright fabrications, kids no matter how you label them, are bound to lie somewhere along the path. While a little child may concoct an intricate story about how she/he could never have kicked a younger sibling, an older one may outright lie about doing their homework.
Children are no different from adults when they are anxious and worried when they lie. Lying is related to several actions, gestures, and expressions. Knowing these reactions can help you recognise when your child may be lying. Here are the 5 common telltale signs of lying:
Avoids/changes the topic of conversation
If your child expresses relief when a talk on a specific issue is done, or tries to divert your attention to avoid a discussion, it may be time to look into the matter further. Children frequently engage in such activity to avoid getting caught telling a falsehood or to avoid being forced to tell a lie in an uncomfortable situation.
Avoids eye contact
When older children are speaking a lie, they usually avoid meeting your gaze or making eye contact with you. However, this may not be the case for very young toddlers, who have difficulties distinguishing between truth and imagination. So your preschooler might look you in the eyes and tell you that her dragon friend paid her a visit in the afternoon. Older children may learn to lie with a straight face with time and effort.
Facial expressions
Attempting to lie can result in feelings of dread, relief, anger, or agony. While lying, your youngster may try to hide his emotions. You may tell when your youngster is trying to hide his expressions by closely observing his face. Also, there may be a mismatch between your child’s facial expression and his words at times.
Explains in detail
Be aware if your youngster provides you with more information than normal about anything. If he is not normally a big talker but can’t stop talking about something, it could suggest that he is either lying or doing everything he can to sell his argument.
Keeps a distance
If your child keeps a safe distance from you or draws a book or a pillow to her chest as a barrier, this could be another nonverbal cue that raises suspicion.
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