The fear of being punished or reprimanded is one of the biggest reasons your children resorts to not speaking out the truth.
It is often seen that in spite of giving your best in terms of parenting, your child may pick up some unwanted habits. One of the most common among these is lying. The good news is, that it is not an uncommon problem. Children all over often lie, sometimes to get their way or to avoid being reprimanded. It is normal and can be dealt with. The bad news is if you do not put a check on it, your child may actually grow up to be a habitual liar even in adult life. You can employ the following measures to make sure that your children do not need to lie to you and that the habit is eliminated before they reach adolescence.
Set an example for your children
For children, parents are their role models. Try to set an example for your child and never lie in front of them. Also, keep telling them is lying is a bad thing to do.
Tone down on your reprimanding
The fear of being punished or reprimanded is one of the biggest reasons your children resorts to not speaking out the truth. Do not punish them for everything. Let them know that it is ok to make mistakes once in a while. If you catch them lying, politely talk it out with them and ask why they are not speaking the truth. Do not lose your cool.
Appreciate truthfulness
When your child gathers courage and tells you the truth about something they did, appreciate them for it. This will encourage them to speak the truth about things.
Support them in trouble
If your child has run into some problem, listen to them and help them out. Do not neglect the issues faced by the child. Helping them out will make them trust you more and they will not feel the need to lie to you.