www.womanthismonth.com March 2023 71 Trust your child’s ability to learn the value of honesty, problem solving and to do better next time. LIFESTYLE | opinion Bollywood Music and Dinner Bahrain India Society held a Live Bollywood Music and Dinner Night at The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa. Lying to avoid punishment and/or consequences Often children will lie to get their way, to make sure the outcome is in their favour or most commonly to avoid being punished. What to do: If you know that your child is lying and they have acted in a way that has broken, destroyed or otherwise harmed something or someone it can be really beneficial to just listen at first. Ask sincerely: “What can you tell me about this?” to start a dialogue. If you have encouraged your child to tell the truth in the past it is likely that they will once again cooperate with you. If you have used punishment in the past, it’s never too late to look at positive alternatives. Go ahead and explain to your child that you value and welcome honesty. Then follow-through with your words (otherwise it would be modeling how to lie) and find an appropriate solution with your child. How can you help your child repair the situation? How can you encourage your child to make amends for telling a lie and to whoever may have been hurt by the lie? What to avoid: Calling your child a liar or demanding the truth and immediately punishing is likely to teach your child to be sneakier the next time around. It creates a negative cycle of communication to avoid punishment. There is a more positive and helpful way to help your child learn to tell the truth.
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