Children with ADHD can be a handful, but they are dealing with a lot themselves. The way each child acts out while dealing with this condition differs with each case. But one of the things that can become a problem for a child is the habit of lying. Children with ADHD can often lie to their parents. It is a very common problem. But in some cases children can also resort to blurting out the truth which can also land them in trouble a lot of times. But lying can quickly become a habit for children. So, if your child with ADHD is having this problem, then it is time to understand the problem a little more deeply to help him or her in a positive way.
To help your child deal with this problem, you must understand the reasons behind their behavior. So, here are a couple of reasons why children with ADHD might lie to their parents.
Lying To Avoid Being Held Responsible
Lets say you ask your child to go and clean his or her room and when you check with him or her later, your child says the work is done. But then you go upstairs and find your child on his or her dirty bed reading or playing. It can be infuriating for sure. But getting angry at your child might not help in this scenario. The child would have lied to get away from being held accountable for his or her actions. But the real reason behind that might be his or her inability to do a chore without getting distracted by other things. Your child might be having a problem with planning and executing a job. So, lying seems reasonable to him or her after failing to carry on with a task.
Weak Functioning Skills
Another reason why children with ADHD lie is because of their inability to think through their acts. Some children with ADHD have poor executive functioning skills. Some children are unable to process things like consequences of lying, the idea of doing something now compared to later, time management and organization and understanding the concept of their actions landing them in trouble. So, shouting at your child might not help him or her to figure a way to function.
How To Help Your Child Deal With Lying
You don’t have to get angry at your child if he or she keeps lying to you. Try to understand their drive behind their actions and then help them to understand why their actions are wrong and what can be done to change that.
1. Break It Down
If your child has poor execution skills and a habit of abandoning his or her chores midway, then break down the chores into individual steps and then give him or her the job. When you break it down for your child, it becomes easier for him or her to execute it. Your child wouldn’t lie if there is no reason to do so.
2. Don’t Take It Personally
If your child has lied to you, don’t take it personally. Your child is just struggling to find a way to work through his or her problems. So, instead of being angry, just let it go once in a while. Your child will appreciate your kindness in the long run.
3. Be In Charge
Try not to give them a chore and then ask them again if they have done it. If you have asked your child to do something, then just go and check if it is done. If your child hasn’t done it, then just ask him or her to drop everything else and get to it.
4. Avoid Shaming
Shaming your child for his or her follies will only make things worse. Thus, when he or she messes up, work with him or her and find out when and why he or she got distracted and lied. And then just help him or her to finish the job.
Lying can become a lifelong vice if not corrected at the earliest. So, work together with your child and family to help your child discover the path of truth.
