What lies have your parents told you?
We all have those moments where a family member lied to
us. Some big and some small.
A new study suggests that lying to your kids—even those little white lies that help us get through the day or instill discipline—make it more likely for kids to hide the truth as they get older.
Researchers in Singapore found that study participants who were often lied to by their parents as children, were more likely to repeatedly lie to their parents as they got older.
They also had more difficulty meeting psychological and social challenges.
As they grew up they became more selfish and had recurring experiences of feeling higher levels of guilt and shame.
According to lead researcher, Assistant Professor Setoh Peipei from NTU Singapore's School of Social Sciences, most parent lie out of convenience but it can have long-term effects.
"Parenting by lying can seem to save time especially when the real reasons behind why parents want children to do something is complicated to explain. When parents tell children that 'honesty is the best policy', but display dishonesty by lying, such behaviour can send conflicting messages to their children. Parents' dishonesty may eventually erode trust and promote dishonesty in children."