How to Know when Your Child Is Lying
Notice the quality of eye contact., Observe brief facial expressions., See if they are constantly fidgeting., Look for facial cues and touching., Look for strange gestures.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Notice the quality of eye contact.
Your child may be lying if they avoid eye contact altogether or maintain unusual eye contact.
If your child is younger, they will probably avoid all eye contact.
If they are a little older and more sophisticated, they may make a point of maintaining eye contact for a long time, with wide eyes or an unusual expression.If they blink a lot while trying to maintain eye contact, it could be a sign of lying. -
Step 2: Observe brief facial expressions.
Your child may express very brief moments of fear, anger, sadness, surprise or despair while lying, which are sometimes called microexpressions.
This occurs when someone is consciously trying to hide how they are feeling.
You have to watch carefully to see these brief expressions of emotion, which sometimes last less than a second.
See if you can discern any of the following emotions in their face while they are talking.
If the emotion is at odds with what they are saying or seems out of place, it could indicate a lie:
Surprise may be expressed with raised and curved brows, horizontal wrinkles on the forehead, eyelids open and the jaw dropped open.
Fear may be expressed with the brows raised and drawn together, wrinkles in the center of the forehead, whiteness in the upper eye showing, and the mouth open with tensed lips.
Sadness can be seen when the child is looking downwards, the upper eyelids are dropped, the cheeks are raised upwards, and the corners of the lip are turned down., If your child is unable to stay still while telling you their version of the story, it could indicate a lie.
For instance, if you notice doing any of the following fidgeting behaviors, it is a warning sign:
Constantly moving their hands.
Shifting in their seat.
Shuffling their feet back and forth. , Studies have found a correlation between certain facial cues lying.See if your child bites their lip while talking to you.
They may also lick their lips, which could also indicate a lie.
If they touch their nose, face or head while talking, it could also indicate a lie., See if your child is holding their hands behind their back, or constantly shifting their feet or hands.
Bodily gestures are a common giveaway of deceit in both children and adults.
It could be as simple as your child holding their hands behind their back.Look for any of the following signs:
Scratching their body while talking Moving their fingers without their arms and for no reason Strange movements, shakes or nods of the head Shuffling or shifting of the feet and legs Shifting position in their seat -
Step 3: See if they are constantly fidgeting.
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Step 4: Look for facial cues and touching.
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Step 5: Look for strange gestures.
Detailed Guide
Your child may be lying if they avoid eye contact altogether or maintain unusual eye contact.
If your child is younger, they will probably avoid all eye contact.
If they are a little older and more sophisticated, they may make a point of maintaining eye contact for a long time, with wide eyes or an unusual expression.If they blink a lot while trying to maintain eye contact, it could be a sign of lying.
Your child may express very brief moments of fear, anger, sadness, surprise or despair while lying, which are sometimes called microexpressions.
This occurs when someone is consciously trying to hide how they are feeling.
You have to watch carefully to see these brief expressions of emotion, which sometimes last less than a second.
See if you can discern any of the following emotions in their face while they are talking.
If the emotion is at odds with what they are saying or seems out of place, it could indicate a lie:
Surprise may be expressed with raised and curved brows, horizontal wrinkles on the forehead, eyelids open and the jaw dropped open.
Fear may be expressed with the brows raised and drawn together, wrinkles in the center of the forehead, whiteness in the upper eye showing, and the mouth open with tensed lips.
Sadness can be seen when the child is looking downwards, the upper eyelids are dropped, the cheeks are raised upwards, and the corners of the lip are turned down., If your child is unable to stay still while telling you their version of the story, it could indicate a lie.
For instance, if you notice doing any of the following fidgeting behaviors, it is a warning sign:
Constantly moving their hands.
Shifting in their seat.
Shuffling their feet back and forth. , Studies have found a correlation between certain facial cues lying.See if your child bites their lip while talking to you.
They may also lick their lips, which could also indicate a lie.
If they touch their nose, face or head while talking, it could also indicate a lie., See if your child is holding their hands behind their back, or constantly shifting their feet or hands.
Bodily gestures are a common giveaway of deceit in both children and adults.
It could be as simple as your child holding their hands behind their back.Look for any of the following signs:
Scratching their body while talking Moving their fingers without their arms and for no reason Strange movements, shakes or nods of the head Shuffling or shifting of the feet and legs Shifting position in their seat
About the Author
Lauren Hayes
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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