Teens and Lying
Antisocial behaviors, including aggression and lying, are some of the hardest to deal with when it comes to your children. It is a sad and overwhelming feeling to have to watch your child start to spiral downward, but you can watch for symptoms and catch it early. One of these symptoms is lying.
Teens and lying; there will come a time when you will catch your teen in a lie. It maybe about something small, like telling you they have no homework when they are actually behind in school, or it could be something as big as saying they are spending the night at friends and staying out all night. When a teen gets away with a small lie, they tend to move onto bigger lies, so it's important to not let them get away with even the first small lie. It's about setting boundaries and using discipline to educate your child as to what you will not put up with, and drawing clear expectations of their behavior.
It's harder than it looks. You found out, you talked to them, you feel hurt and betrayed, but you pass it off as a youthful indiscretion and let it pass. They promise not to do it again, but the consequences did not match the action, and therefore they will continue to test and push to see how far they can get. Your job is to set clear expectations with your teen about lying, and set clear consequences.
This is a natural part of youth development, seeing how much they can get away with. But constant lying can lead to bigger problems, such as petty theft. So stay strong, set clear boundaries, and let the discipline (notice the word used here is discipline and not punishment) fit the lie.
 Reader Comments
|
By: antonette Posted: Oct 15 2007