Mothers can be mind readers of sorts when it comes to their kids. To a child who is unaware of this universal fact, lying may seem like a convenient escape route to trick parents and get off scot-free! While the slightest glance at your child’s face is usually enough for you to gauge your child’s sincerity, at times you may need a little extra help. Here are some signs that your child might be trying to lie to you.
No eye contact: If your child finds it difficult to make eye contact with you while talking or finds it difficult to look into your eyes for more than a split second, then that should be a good enough indication of his/her sincerity. Children are naturally innocent, but they’re also growing into adults and they will start to test your limits, your lie-detection skills included. This tussle actually makes it difficult for the little one to concentrate on the eyes while talking, which is generally a dead giveaway.
Trembling hands and legs: Telling lies is not easy, especially if your child is a novice at such acts. What makes the hands and legs tremble is the fear and impending consequences of their actions. They know punishment is inevitable if caught, but can’t help themselves out of fear, or in the hope that they might get the better of you. Even for adults telling lies is an act that disrupts the harmony between the body and the mind. It is definitely more difficult for children to cope with such psychological discrepancies, hence the tremors.
Change in tone and intonation: When your child speaks to you she is most comfortable. But when she lies to you it’s just the opposite. Her tone will change with a lie. While she speaks, her vocal chords will stiffen and either the words will be spoken in a tone different from her usual one or in a harsh pitch. It also makes it difficult for her to maintain uniformity in the pitch or there would be a great deal of fluctuation in her intonation as she speaks. The underlying fear in her voice would also be hard to miss. The inconsistent tone is further accentuated because of the her nervousness that causes her swallow air or saliva that builds up.
Unusual behaviour: If you notice that your child suddenly ate all the veggies or has started to study, forgoing his TV time, this should raise your suspicion levels. Especially if he has told you something that you suspected to be a lie. All these acts are just a mere attempt to please you and keep your mind off the lie.
Starts fidgeting: Along with the changes in tone and tremors, your child might start to fidget with something that is nearby, either the curtains, the pencils, the table or anything that she can lay her hands on. This act is an attempt for your child to find comfort in something than can reduce the burden and stress of telling a lie.
Inconsistencies in statements: The best way to figure out if your child is lying to you is to make her repeat the whole incident again. You will instantly notice a lot of inconsistencies.
Changes in body language: If you notice your child telling a lie, very often the entire body goes into a spasm due to the fear and the knowledge that the act is not acceptable or correct. Nail biting is also often observed in kids when they lie and facial expressions also tend to betray their emotions.
Defensive or aggressive behaviour: A young child who is lying will often be defensive about his statements and get aggressive if you attempt to make any accusations. During the course of a casual conversations such behavioural changes can easily go unnoticed.
Image source: Getty images
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