Telling Fibs Could Mean Success In Later Life

Researchers have carried out tests on 1,200 children and maintain that those children who have reached the stage of learning how to tell lies have actually reached a milestone in their mental development.  They claim that the children who lied about turning round to look at a teddy while alone in a room, have better cognitive abilities than those who did not lie.  They were able to make it look convincing, keeping the truth at the back of their minds rather than at the forefront.

By age 2, 1 in 5 children will lie.  By age 5 about 90% will lie.  However, this doesn't mean you have a delinquent on your hands!  And, if your toddler tends to lie, then it does not mean they will cheat at exams.  The age where children are most likely to tell fibs, is age 7.  It is by then that you must make sure children do not lie about important things.  White lies to protect someone or avoid hurting feelings shouldn't cause too much concern.

One test that will shed light on whether you child is good at lying or not is to carry out the 'Pinocchio Test'.  If your child asks for a biscuit or treat, reply with, "What did Daddy say?".  If they reply with a convincing "He said yes!" and look rightwards, this shows they are probably lying because their eyes are "seeing" an image of the treat rather than remembering an image.  If they look left they were not lying as they are recalling an image that is actual rather than creating an image in their head.  Try it out!