Lying Children – Whoops! But it wasn’t me!

Most parents/ guardians try to bring up their children to be good citizens, truthful and to respect themselves and others, but what do you do when your child lies? No one wants lying children, but how can you help your child? Well don’t panic, stay calm and breathe.
Now you know the type of lying children I’m talking about:
‘No I didn’t eat the cookies’
‘Then why do you have crumbs all over your mouth?’
‘No, I did not spray perfume over the floor, on my little brother and in the cat’s tray!’
‘Well, why do your hands reek of perfume?’

Most children will tell tall stories, and this is especially the case between the ages of 3 to 5. However the good news is that you can help your child, and in most cases lying children will normally just grow out of it. I honestly believe that between the ages of 2 to 5 years old, children really do not understand the truth between fact and fiction, and so it is inevitable that they will tell exaggerated stories, which in their mind appear to be the absolute truth!

Lying children at this age, between 2-5 years old, can be due to the them trying to make sense of the world around them and understanding new information. However, it is important that you help your child by encouraging them to understand the differences between telling the truth and lying. Make sure that they realise that lies are not acceptable.
5 ways to help your child tell the truth:

1: The best role model for a child is their parents/guardians, so be sure to tell the truth and be honest in front of them. Your ‘little’ lies only serve to reinforce that it is ok to lie to get out of a situation and can encourage lying children.
2: Create an environment where your child understands that they can come to you. If your child feels that they will not be harshly punished then they are more likely to tell the truth rather than lie.
3: Help your child by not labelling them as a liar. Try to explain to them that you know that they don’t tell lies and ask what it is that is making them lie about a situation. Focus on the behaviour, not your child.
4: Encourage and help your child to tell the truth, by explaining to them that you value the truth more than the lie. You could also give a reward when they tell the truth.
5: Avoid direct confrontation that makes it inevitable for your child to tell a lie. Rather than saying, ‘Johny why did you swing the cat around by its tail?’ say ‘Johnny you know that you’re not supposed to swing the cat around by its tail.’
There is a fantastic audio book, which is also available in print, by Lauren Child which is a must for all young children. This is a wonderful tale of Lola who just cannot resist touching things she shouldn’t and ends up having to tell a lie, as the title says ‘Whoops! But it wasn’t me!’ This is great as a way to explain and help your child understand about lying!

How To Get Your Child To Enjoy Learning

Does Your Child Enjoy Learning

Raise Your Child's Self-Esteem

Raise Your Child’s Self-Esteem - Tips on Raising Happy Confident Children!

If your child is happy, positive and vivacious they will have a real zest for life! Here are ten tips to raise your child's self- esteem and improve their confidence.

1. Spend time with your children and plan activities that you will all enjoy as it is important that you come together as a family, a group or just the two of you. Avoid the temptation to replace time that you should spend with your children with presents!

2. Give your child a sense of pride in their history and family. Tell them stories about your family and teach them your language - if you speak one. This will raise your child's self-esteem.

3. Value your child’s opinion, they may not always agree with you, they may not always be right, but you should value what they say and not respond in a negative way. Doing this is a great way to raise your child’s self-esteem as it helps to make them feel respected.

4. Give plenty of praise to your child as this boosts confidence! After all, who doesn’t love being told that they are doing well! Commend your child for what they have done or achieved but make sure it is specific and not just lip service.

5. Encourage children to be self critical, but yet not overly critical of themselves. By doing this your child will be able to acknowledge for themselves when they have done something well or wrong.

6. To help raise your child’s self-esteem avoid comparing them with other children. Ok, we all do this at some stage, but try not to openly do this in front of your child. Every child is different and a perceived skill in one does not mean that your child is not equally as talented as another.

7. Praise your child by using their positive characteristics. For example, if your child is very kind and generous, you could praise this quality. You could also praise your child for the ways they respond to a situation, such as, ‘I really liked that you did not get annoyed when I said we could not have ice-cream today.’

8. Children need activities to keep them mentally and physically active and this is also a great way to raise your child’s self-esteem. Endeavour to get your child to develop hobbies and interests which they enjoy and can do independently.

9. Encourage your child to laugh and laugh and laugh some more! Children should not take themselves too seriously as this often leads to frustration. Happiness is sometimes just the ability not to take yourself too seriously.

10. Give your child responsibility around the house. This doesn’t have to be anything too great, you could simply let them make dessert or put the bread in the toaster in the morning. Chores that children enjoy give them a real sense of achievement and can be a great way to help raise your child’s self-esteem.

This is my top ten list. I am sure there are many other great tips to help parents. Please feel free to add your own thoughts and suggestions using the comments section.

Is Your Child Gifted and Talented?

Is Your Child Gifted and Talented?
A gifted and talented child may possess exceptional talents in subjects such as English, maths, and science. Generally your child may find it easier to apply what they have learnt and use a variety of skills to help them solve problems and develop theories. There are also other areas that children may be gifted or talented in including music, art and design and sport. It is a good idea to look at qualities such as leadership and decision making as these can also be signs that your child is gifted and talented.
Could Your Child be Gifted?
Below is a list of just some signs that your child could be gifted and talented:
• They will tend to develop at a significant rate above their peer group.
• Gifted children are inquisitive and have a good memory.
• They are independent in their thinking, work and play.
• They learn quickly and are able to apply what they have learnt to different topics or scenarios.
• They may be very mature in their thinking and show an interest in news, people and situations and how they relate to each other.
• They possess a keen awareness of what is happening around them.
• They are able to self-learn from a wide range of resources including school, television, peers and adults.
• Gifted and talented children always appear to be gaining knowledge.
• They tend to have exceptional critical thinking skills for problem solving.
• With little assistance from others, they start to read independently before they start school and have advanced reading strategies in order to read well above their age level.
• In some cases your child may be gifted and talented, but a late starter and so will take a little longer to grow and excel above their age.
How You Can Help Your Child if they are Gifted and Talented:
In order to help your gifted and talented child you need to allow them to discover new experiences. You could try taking them to the museum or to a play, show or exhibitions. Some parents find that additional private tuition for their child can be helpful. All of these are great ways to assist a gifted and talented child, as long as it is kept to sensible limits and does not impose on your child.
The Hidden Gifted and Talented Child:
Some gifted and talented pupils are not always identified as they may not have the opportunity to participate in a sport or craft that they may well excel in. By giving your child a chance to explore a variety of activities it will enable them to excel in an activity that they enjoy.