It’s not unusual for 5-year-olds to try out lying. Their intelligence has developed to the point where they know how to conceal the truth and fabricate lies.

Preschool-age children usually don’t know how to do this. They most often wear their thoughts on their sleeves, speak what’s on their mind. They blurt out the truth, sometimes with embarrassing results.

Before age 5, children really believe that parents are omnipotent. Your child says, “I can’t find my teddy bear.” You respond with, “It’s upstairs under your bed.” The child actually believes that you know all and see all. He’s unaware that you saw the teddy bear this morning when making his bed.

At 5, children typically test parents’ omnipotence by lying, just to see what parents actually know, and then they move on to others. Your daughter is trying out lying, not realizing that at some point she’ll get caught in a lie…

It takes time for children to learn the concept of truth and lies. If you hear your child lie, you can call her on it: “I heard you tell your friend that you have a scooter. That’s not true. It’s not a good idea to tell such fibs. What are you going to do when your friend wants to see your scooter?” Don’t expect a response; allow your daughter to ponder the question on her own.

Parents need to be careful of telling little white lies themselves. Your child is listening and learning. Your child will learn to tell white lies if you do…

Source: Seattle Times, United States
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/parenting/2003990493_faull03.html