Lies During Puberty: What We’re Afraid Of

Puberty is a difficult phase that involves a number of changes in child behavior. Therefore, parents are very concerned about lying. Learn more about the topic.

Without a doubt, the fear of being lied to is one of the main issues facing parents of teenagers who are going through puberty. There can be various causes behind the lies; Either way, the parents fear the complex developments that this phase brings with it.

Question about the entrance

What does lying mean? Not telling the truth or disguising it? Does it take the willfulness not to tell the truth in order for us to speak of a lie? What if the parents are the ones who lie?

Are there maybe different weights, big and small lies? Or are they all to be rated equally, including the little white lies? We often ask ourselves these and other questions when dealing with the subject of lies.

Now and then the lies are hidden; sometimes they are slumbering somewhere, just waiting to come out at some point.

The role of parents

Parents … are they able to speak to their children about this topic? How can you avoid lies creeping in? Just as the children are not brought by the rattle stork, the lies do not come out of nowhere, but have a story and specific causes.

When the children are younger, they can mix up reality and fantasy and let their imagination run wild. Such fantasy stories could be interpreted at least partially as lies, but they happen innocently and this playful way of story-making disappears as the child ages.

It only becomes problematic when the child realizes that they can achieve something specific with the help of lies, even if it is just some positive side effect.

Lying During Puberty: Possible Scenarios

Other occasions in which lies can become an issue are strict prohibitions, for example with regard to going out and partying, or overly precise control or pressure with regard to school grades, up to the “accidental finding” of a cigarette in the satchel.

Susana Molina Martín (2010) points out the following:

Schools face the challenge of adapting their approach to the new ways students interact with the society that surrounds them.

In her research, the author describes the simulating and pretending behavior during puberty and explains that this is due to the needs of adolescents to survive in society.

When do you have reason to worry about lying?

In principle, lying – occasional – is not really a cause for concern, but it should raise a certain level of alertness so that it does not become entrenched. When they become a habit, you have to step in.

Why especially during puberty?

Puberty is the phase in which adolescents search for their identity, for self-determination, independence and separation from their parents. That is why there are many situations in which the wishes of the young people do not correspond to those of the parents, and that alone is enough to give the lies breeding ground.

Conclusion

• Lies during puberty can be a sign that the adolescent has not yet found his / her way and that the lie is used to give identity, even if only temporarily.
• It is important to note that lying often seems like the easy way out, but because lies are known to have short legs, they tend to do harm in the long run.