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Kids will test your patience, your knowledge and certainly your trust when it comes to lying. Children’s lies may be completely innocent and a phase they’ll outgrow, but it’s probably not a skill you want them to get good at or get away with. One way to curb this potentially bad habit is to spot the signs of lying, have your kid come clean and teach them why lying is wrong. Kids can be good liars and sneaky as ever, but it’s nothing that a mom or dad can’t fix. Here are the top 10 signs your kid is lying:

1. Limited or No Eye Contact

   When kids get caught in a lie, they often look away and make little eye contact with you. They may also gaze into the distance to avoid smiling or messing up their story that’s too good to be true.

2. Body Position

   The way in which kids position their bodies can be used to spot lies. They may sit up straight while talking, cross their arms or suddenly switch gestures when they get nervous and are being deceitful.

3. Wringing Hands

   Fidgety, wringing hands may indicate that your child is lying. This motion is said to express guilt and concern, which makes sense if they are guilty of lying and concerned about their punishment. Also, kids may hide their hands behind their back or sit on them to look innocent.

4. Scratching the Ear

   Unless your child has an itchy ear condition, suddenly scratching the ear when answering questions is a sign that your child may be lying. Aside from all the scratching, kids can also get red earlobes when they are embarrassed or nervous about lying.

5. Touching the Head

   In an effort to look anything but guilty, kids may touch their head and mess with their hair when they are lying. Some think they’ll look confused or innocent by scratching their heads, but it’s usually a nervous, involuntary reaction.

6. Excessive Blinking or No Blinking

   Blinking too much or not at all can indicate a child is lying. They may excessively blink from nerves or not at all because they are in deep concentration conjuring up a lie.

7. Licking or Biting Lips

   In an effort not to say too much or blow their cover, kids may lick or bite their lips while talking to you. And when they accidentally spill the truth, look for kids’ signature movement of hands slapped across their mouth.

8. Repetition

   Kids may repeat themselves several times so you’ll believe that they really didn’t hit their little brother. Their pleas can be convincing, but they may be lying. Sometimes kids will mimic you or repeat what you said, so they can come up with a response during this time.

9. Talking too Much

   Kids are naturally energetic, talkative beings, but when they are caught in lies they may act unusually excited and talk too much. In an effort to come up with a believable lie, you child may ramble on and tell a detailed, farfetched story that just doesn’t cut it.

10. Changing Their Tone of Voice

    When kids are told to spill the truth, they may opt to speak slowly and quietly while lying between their teeth. A change in tone or tempo of their speech may indicate they’re lying to you.