4 stages children go through in lying

[ng]

In respect of childcare, what are the four stages children go through in respect to lying?

[factor-fiction]

Most children tell lies at some stage and for a variety of different reasons. Experts divide these lies into four main types which are:

Exploratory lying is done just to see how you will react. A gentle reprimand may be sufficient when they are very young.

Bragging lies involve your child telling exaggerated stories, such as how they can run faster than anyone else in their class, or has more toys than anyone else. Although bragging is mostly harmless, you can discourage your child from exaggerating by reminding them of their real achievements. Try to avoid making fun of your child if they keep telling bragging lies. Their real problem is lack of self-esteem, so help them build it up by finding things they are good at and praising them.

Fantasy lies are when your child mixes up reality with make-believe to make every-day life more exciting. For example, your child may claim to have an invisible friend. You usually don�t need to stop your child doing this, it is just a normal phase of their development.

Cover-up lies may be told by your child in order to avoid being punished and as they get older they may become more accomplished at it. Since this type of lying is a deliberate attempt to mislead, it is the sort that many parents worry about the most.

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/child_ behaviour.html

[ng]

Thank you very much. I got quite an interesting and different view for the question. It is highly useful for my work.