Little liars

[MonkeyPrincess]

I have a 3 yr old dcg who has been lying lately. Mom says she has been doing it at home too. Dcg will lie and say no when she has pooped her pull up even though I can smell her from a mile away. She will lie about playing with lights even though I just caught her flicking the lights on and off. She will deny pushing another kid and/ or stealing toys. Today when I came out of the washroom, she had plugged in the Christmas tree. She denied it. I explained that I wouldn't get mad but I wanted the truth. She denied it. It took me asking her half a dozen times until she admitted it.

How do I handle this? How do I get her stop lying?

[momofnerds]

I have a dcb a little younger than your dcg. He will do the same thing. I will ask him what happened and he will blame everyone else, even the baby.

so I talked to the mother and apparently its a game they play at home. When they ask who did it the dcb will point to someone else and laugh and they would say "bad daddy or bad mommy" even thou he's the one that would do it.

I told her that the problem is that what he's doing is a bit naughty (if not dangerous) and he's blaming others even thou I will catch him sometimes. I told mom that she need to stop playing this game.

will see what happens tommorrow.

[mimi]

Tell her Santa is watching or that you have eyes on the back of your head and you see all.

[mickyc]

My daughter (3.5) is doing it too right now. she spilled water on the floor the other day and then when I asked her about it she said the cat peed on the floor lol. I am hoping it is just a phase. When I ask her if she is lying she will say NO, then I ask if she is telling the truth and she will also say NO.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I agree with homeschoolmom. My almost 4 yr old dcg used to lie a lot, it has decreased quite a bit actually. I used to ask "did you do....?" and she would say no. I kept telling her that I don't like to be lied too and if you lie you get into more trouble when the truth comes out. Now I just tell her "I saw you..." and I either tell her that I don't like that behaviour or if it's something major she gets a time away from the group.

[momofnerds]

I'm going to try this tommorrow too.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I should mention she would lie about the silliest of things so it wasn't even that she would get into trouble for telling the truth. She would lie about flushing the toilet or washing her hands or if she put her toys away. Things that didn't matter. I think it's just a phase some kids go through for whatever reason.

[playfelt]

It is a very normal phase and is actually a sign that your child is developing a sense of right and wrong and where they fit in the process. I agree on not asking and just stating your observations. Mete out punishment if warranted. Just like a toddler says no to everything even when they mean yes because they have learned they can. The phase will pass. Try not to punish for lying but only for the behaviour that was done. When they learn that telling the truth has merits the phase passes quicker.

[momofnerds]

today I tried it and boy were the kids surprised but it worked.