Why kids lie - ever feel like you’re constantly playing detective. Trying to figure out if your child is telling the truth, or at least part of it? Here’s the clues you’ve been looking for.

Picture this scenario: Your son comes home hours after soccer practice and you want to know where he’s been. “Oh my bike broke down and I had to bring it over to Mike’s house to get it fixed.”

You look at your son and you’re thinking – hours? Did it really take hours to get it fixed? What was he really doing? Is he getting into something bad that he doesn’t want to tell me about?

How to Create a Safe Haven for the Truth in your home? Building moral values for kids is not always an easy feat – especially when it comes to telling the truth! But the honest truth is the biggest barrier to kids not wanting to tell the truth is their not feeling safe to do so. The real work doesn’t begin until you can create a safe haven in your home where your kids will always feel safe to tell the truth.

Think of all the times in your life you have lied. What did your parents say? Which reactions did you appreciate and helped you open up and tell the truth the next time? Which responses had the absolute opposite effect?

What about now, when you are the one parenting? And you’re on your ever present quest to teach moral values for kids of every age in your home. What responses have been effective for lying? Here are 8 responses that will NOT get your kid to stop lying.