The first time they witness their child tell a lie, many parents panic. Why would a toddler as young as two years old say or do anything dishonest? Is it a sign they’ll turn into a deceptive, untrustworthy, possibly even amoral adult?
“I’m always very happy to hear about small children lying,” says Kang Lee, psychology professor at the University of Toronto. “Parents find it worrying, but it’s actually an important sign of normal, healthy development.”
