The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-09-27
WHY children LIE
~ n. AooINoToN BRUCE,
Author OF THE Riddle OF Personality.
Psychology and Parenthood. etc.

There are many children. as their parents
mournfuy know. who display remarkable ten
dency to persistent untruthfulness There are
Others who In addition To telling lies, tahe
strange delight in acting lies. OFTEN such chill
dren 90 TO the point of concoeting receptions or
a most elaborate character.
In one instance that has come 10 my knowi-
edge a clergyman living in lonely street was
startled one evening by means outside his door.
Investigating he found a young girl lying on
the doorstep her clothing torn. and one arm
bound In a rough sling.
She told him she had been attacked by two
men and rendered unconscious. She added that
when she recovered her senses she found her
self in field. with her arm. which had been hurt
in the attack tied in the sling; and that she had
managed TO drag herself 10 his house
Greatly distressed at her plight. the clergy
man took her in. and with his wife spent the
night attending TO her wants, which were many.
In the morning a neighbor volunteered TO take
her To the address she gave as her nome, ana =
carriage sent FOR.
But nearing her destination, the girl, TO the
amazement OF the kindhearted neighbor. sudden
ly leaped nimbly from the moving carriage.
Then, with hooking laugh. she TOOK 10 her
heels and quickly disappeared.
II was discovered that she had given false
address. But her mother was afterward round.
and sorrowfully explained that. often as she had
punished the girl. she could not prevent her
from playing tricks like this"
Punishment, indeed not the treatment
this girl should have had And II Is never the
right treatment for the many children who seem
ingly for no reason perplex and grieye their par
ents by equally mischieyous spoken or acted lies.
such children sometimes do serious harm.
Many a man has been sent to prison on testi.
mony falsely given against him by young chill
dren. In one case OF this sort. where the false
hood was luckily proved in time, the child max
ing the accusation, on being urged TO tell Just
why she made IT, naively explained:
II had heard OF affairs OF this sort, and
thought II would be nice TO say that one hap
pened 10 me-
Here we have in large part q solution OF the
problem raised by the lies OF perslstently or
spcctacularly untruthful children. These chill
dren are not really naughty. They are children
OF an ABNORMAL SUGGESTlBILITY and an
ABNORMAL CRAVING TO ATTRACT ATTEN-
TON.
often they are children who have been
neglected or repressed by their parents. Some
times. on the other hand. they are children who
have been made too much of. Pettng and lion
ling have been carried to such lengths that
their one idea is to remain the centre OF attrao-
ton nj any cost.
Always they are children whose early upbring-
ing mas been deficient IN POINT OF DEVELOP
ING THE POWER OF SELF-CONTROL AND
OF PROVIDING PROPER OUTLETS FOR THE
IMAGINATIvENESS THAT is CHARACTERS
TIC or ALL CHILDREN
n II is true to say that they are by birth Of
hysterica homeopathic disposition u Is equally
true that their hysterical tendencies may be ef-
fectually curbed by training directed particularly
To the strengthening of wlpower and the cult
waiting Of habits OF emotional restraint
Consequently. II your child sppas YOU by his
untruthfulness, don't waste time and effort in
scolding or whipping him.
Have him examined by competent ncurolo.
gist. and then try TO give effect TO the specific
educational measures the neurologst will advise
you 10 adopt.