Children lies are usually harmless phenomenon, but parents often resort to penalties in order to prevent a lie. It’s totally wrong method by which a child will learn absolutely nothing.
Children often lie because they mix the truth with fictition or dreams. This kind of phenomena that adults might confuse with a classic lie is usually widespread among preschool children, but it reality it is not. It is just children’s confusion, not a lie as we know it.
A good portion of the “lies” that children tend to say is basically benevolent. So they tend to lie in order to preserve the common secret, to protect a friend or maybe someone prepared a pleasant surprise. Occasionally a child can lie to appear themselves differently in the eyes of another, especially if they feel inferior.
As for the punishment, it is scientifically proven that the children that lie the most are the children who are roughly punished to the lies. The fear of the punishment seems to be the additional trigger for the children to lie, and the punishment therefore creates an counter effect. After all, if the children are it the phase that they not seem to distinguish the lie from illusion, there is no point of punishing them.
However, if the child intentionally lies for the inferior reasons, it is parent’s obligation to raise their self steam and make the child feel good about him/her. The punishment will not help him to affirm his own personality, but rather do the opposite.
Parents need to know, and accept, that like them, and the child also has its secrets. Parents should not bring a child into a situation to lie to protect them.
If the parents are honest and keep repeating that a lie is bad, a child will follow a parent’s path, as parents are their role models. Dishonest parent can’t honesty expect from the child.