DS 11 making up stories at home and to friends.

[slalomsuki]

DS has been making up stories and lying to both of us and his friends at school.

This has been going on for about 6 months at home where he lies about what has happened or what he has done with other kids at school but I have discovered today that his friends think he lies too and are now trying to ostracise him from their group. His brother who is at the same school but younger tells me DS's friends often ask if a story is true. For exame he made up a story about us having a dog and then the dog has now died and been buried in our garden. As a result of this he gots loads of sympathy messages on the schools social media site which I saw. I challenged him about this and he said he wouldnt make up anything else but it has obviously continued.

I am assuming that this is a normal stage for kids to go through but I am now at a loss on how to deal with it. I have threatened to take his phone off him as a punishment but I am at a loss what else to do.

He is normally a great kid but isn't really part of the in crowd and I am sure that these stories are to make himself more popular and get in with them. I also think it's to impress the girls in his year as some of the messages have come from them.

[Notmyidea]

If he's lying to make himself popular you may get further by explaining it won't work rather than punishing him. Is there anything you can do to support his friendships? Maybe have friends over more or get him to join clubs etc.
Lying to you to get out of trouble (I have this problem with my eldest dd!) is different I think. It means we can't trust them so I try and give consequences that fit this, eg taking away her door key and saying she has to still go to a child-minder after school for a while. (and her pocket money is cut while I have to pay for it!)
Good luck!