Would be lovely to hear from seasoned mothers / experienced teachers / behaviour specialists on this.
Heard from my child's friends' mums that they've ben encountering some first time lies lately (big and small) and weren't sure how to deal with them. Suddenly (last two weeks or so) dc lies about brushing teeth, hair and little other little things. We do the long talking, discuss importance of honesty, look at examples of consequences and I give a warning - more lies means cant go to upcoming best friend's birthday party. And yet, dc keeps at it, denies lying at first, then when reassured that it's ok to confess and not be afraid. Dc confesses and says telling one lie breeds more. Naturally, dc is gutted not to be allowed to go to the party - to follow through with consequences.
The question really is what are the appropriate consequences for a five year old nowadays? Is party ban actually constructive? Or would it be better to still allow dc to go and resort to a more constructive option? The key is to prevent more sophisticated lies in the future. Also, it's important to emphasise that it's not mum being the monster (that's how some kids take parenting attempts) it's the behaviour that is unacceptable.
What worked for you?
Thanks in advance