Why Children Lie Essay

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The Consequences of Lying
Maisy Williams

Sometimes, children lie. Obvious statement, right? But, let’s break it down.

Kids under the age of 3 don’t lie on purpose. This age group doesn’t understand what they are saying and instead are just experimenting with language. They might also lie to avoid punishment. Children ages 3 to 7 often have problems separating the real world from fantasy. They might have imaginary friends at this age, which get most of the blame. The lies told by this age group are mostly things that they have made up, not on purpose. By the age of 6 to 7, children understand what lying is, but will continue to cheat if they’re able to. Children from ages of 6 to 12 understand what lying is and the wrongness of this behavior. …show more content…

They may also lie about their grades if parents think that they’re doing better in school than they really are. If a child is asked why they did something bad, the child lies because they are unable to explain their actions.

A few more reasons kids lie is because they fear getting in trouble or facing the consequences of lying, or, more commonly in my household, they panic in the heat of the moment, pressure themselves too much, and end up lying on top of lies on top of lies. Once the child has started to have a conversation with the parent, even if they’re being asked a simple question, they answer without thinking which leads to more dishonesty.

Now, the consequences of lying are almost endless. I could go on and on about the problems with lying and why kids should be punished, etc. , etc. But here are just some of the consequences of lying.

In a list of things god hates in the bible:
"These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren" (Proverbs

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