The Lying Games - 7 yr old fibs

[Pancakeflipper]

My 7 yr old has recently started telling pointless lies.
Some are "no I didn't hit him.". In reference to his younger brother. When I have seen him hitting him.
Or this mornings silly lie when I was in his room asked him to turn off his bedside lamp he said he had and it was still on.
It seems to be daily and lots of them.

At the moment I just getting cross and he's going humphhh and stomping off.

So would appreciate handy hints and tips for dealing with this. Especially on how you handle it.

[MrsCantSayAnything]

My 8 year old DD has been too! With her, it's weird fictional stuff...the other day she said "You know, when I was in my old school, an entire shelf of books collapsed one day and went everywhere."

I said "No! Was there anyone near the shelf?" and she said "Just kidding!"

I was because I believed her. She has also come out with weird things like the other day, she sat at the dinner table licking the base of the salt cellar.

I said "Stop it that's gross!" and she said "Everyone does it at school."

Her dad and I were and she said "You believed me! Like we actually have salt cellars on the lunch table at SCHOOL!"



I think they do it to assert themselves tbh....to rebel in a way when there's not much to rebel about. We give DD a LOT of freedom....do you give DS a lot too?

[DharmaBumpkin]

DD 8 has gone through a stage of this, and the pointless pettiness and the obviousness of the fibs really got to me.

Asked a friend who happens to be a counsellor & she said it was totally normal, not to challenge but to draw out the story, by asking further questions about details etc.

I still hate it but it is decreasing in frequency! Much silent chanting of "it's just a stage, it's just a stage"

[Pancakeflipper]

Ha ha at salt cellar licking. He has a fair amount of freedom ( I had strict parents) and is a kid I could usually I would trust. He's been a straight forward kid, shy but very black and white. Perhaps he has discovered life is full of shades?

I do like the be calm and draw out the story. Ta for that technique. Better than glaring.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

I just tell dd she is blatantly lying and I don't believe her if its big stuff or is obvious. the story telling I just let her work through it, they normally confess to be only kidding or something in the end when they realise its getting flamboyant them selfs. If it becomes sly or more sinister or affects other people I would be more pro active in conveying the trust message. But I think what you and some others describe is a normal stage of development with regards to imagination as well as giving mum the right answers to get her off my back, because I can't be bothered to go back and turn the light out.