Is Your Child Lying A Lot? Consider A Visit With A Psychologist

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Most parents understand that children can stretch the truth and even lie on occasion, and will likely use some form of discipline in an attempt to curb this behavior. However, you may notice that your child is lying frequently — to you, to his or her teacher, and even to friends — and this will likely be a cause for concern. Instead of trying to increase the disciplinary measures, consider getting help from a psychologist who focuses his or her practice on children. Make sure that your child knows that seeing a therapist isn't a form of punishment, but rather a way to get help with this issue. Here are some ways that this mental health professional can help your child.

Getting To The Reason

Children usually have reasons for lying. While a child may occasionally tell a lie just to be silly, there can often be underlying causes for this behavior. A child may not feel comfortable relaying this reason to you, nor may he or she be overtly aware of it. Sitting with a psychologist, however, the reason may become more apparent for the child. For example, a child who is afraid of your punishment may lie to avoid getting into trouble. Saying that he or she didn't eat the last piece of cake could be more tempting than owning up to this behavior and getting punished for it.

Understanding The Consequences

Not all children will understand the negative consequences of lying. If a child can get away with his or her lies, he or she may start to believe that lying is a good idea — and this belief will only encourage further issues of dishonesty. Your child's psychologist is valuable for helping your youngster to better understand the consequences of lying by trying to get him or her to experience what it might be like to be lied to. This knowledge can often help to shift a child's behavior.

Making Amends

When children apologize, their words might not always ring true. For example, many children are sorry that they got caught doing something, rather than are necessarily sorry for the original act. Sessions with a child psychologist can help your child to learn how to make amends in an appropriate manner. A child's relationship with his or her teacher may be severely damaged due to repeated acts of dishonesty, but if the child can apologize in a genuine manner, thanks to sessions with the psychologist, he or she can repair this relationship.

For more information, contact establishments like Carewright Clinical Services.

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8 March 2018

Advice for Getting Through Stressful Situations in Life

From the time I was born to the time I graduated high school, my parents were very overprotective of me and shielded me from all of the "bad" things in the world. When I decided to go to college out of state, they wanted me to stay closer to home, but gave into my wishes eventually. Once I got settled at college, I realized just how attached I was to my parents. I began to feel so homesick that I almost quit before the first semester ended. I decided to visit a counselor to see if she could help me get through the semester, and after just a couple of visits, I began actually enjoying my time away from home. I know there are others in tough situations like I was who need guidance, so I decided to start a blog to share my tips for coping with stressful situations.