RSS
Home
Letting lying teens lay?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
What mask does your teen wear?
Sometimes I feel, if a political figure would like to win his or her campaign, then they should hire a teen as their campaign manager; our children can be wonderful "spin" artists. Have you ever picked up your teen from school, only to hear the very long and detailed description as to why they have to go to detention on Saturday? Somewhere in the story is the truth, but you have to unravel the spin first.
Why do teens lie? Well, there probably the same number of teens as there are answers to that question. But if you really need to ask that question, in order to find the answer, you can ask instead; “why do I lie?” Our teens have learned how to lie from us, and they lie for pretty much the same reasons; they don’t want to cause hurt, they need to protect themselves (i.e. a cover up to a larger problem such as drinking), or they simply want attention.
Story telling starts at an early age when our children are in love with that fantasy … it’s almost an extension of a bedtime story. If this sort of story telling extends in to adolescents it will become a problem. Leaving out part of the story is a common form of lying so as not to hurt others, or to protect their self from further trouble; and after all, don’t we all do it? It’s important to let them know we DON’T all do it.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry;
“Parents are the most important role models for their children. When a child or adolescent lies, parents should take some time to have a serious talk and discuss:
• the difference between make believe and reality, lying and telling the truth,
• the importance of honesty at home and in the community, and
• alternatives to lying.
Additionally the AACP instructs that any form of communication regarding lying come as immediate as possible. More than a talk however, parents must model the behavior they want to see in their teens.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
