Eye Spy

As you just read, excessive blinking is often a sign of lying; disrupted eye contact is another. When a child can’t look you in the eye while he’s telling you his version of the truth. It’s because he’s afraid of being caught or ashamed of what he’s done, or both. When he stares into your eyes (and makes his own eyes as large as possible), it’s an attempt to say, “I’m looking right at you so you can see I have nothing to hide.”

Another classic sign of anxiety is a flushed face. Some kids turn red faster and more easily than others, so if your child is prone to blushing when someone looks at him the wrong way, then just your accusation could be enough to make his cheeks and neck burn bright red. However, if he’s red in the face as he’s telling you he’s off to play next door, you might want to check on him in about five minutes. There’s good chance he’s really headed down to creek where he’s been forbidden to play.

Fact

Most kids don’t perfect the art of lying until they’re around middle-school age, and even then, unless they’re completely devoid of emotion, they’re likely to give away one or two nonverbal cues when they’re trying to pull the wool over their parents’ eyes.