Think back to the last time you lied. Why did you do it? What feelings drove the behavior? Fear? Embarrassment? Guilt? The antidote to guilt is empathy & the antidote to fear and embarrassment is safety. If we want to have a relationship where kiddos feel safe to tell you the truth, we have to respond with safety and help them feel seen and loved. We can have resistance to connecting when kids are lying if we were conditioned to believe that lying was disrespectful and disrespect needs punishment. When we respond with punishment, that breeds fear and can create a cycle of more lying. If they're going to be punished anyway, it will always be worth it for them to lie because maybe if they lie and we don't find out, they don't get punished. What if instead of focusing on teaching kids “right and wrong” we got curious about what was driving their behavior? What if we sought connection, instead? If we truly value their truth, we have to respond with connection over anger. They have to be safe to tell the truth. They have to know that they are unconditionally loved. What inner child narrative do you have about lying? What comes up for you?