​Parents' lies to children can turn them into bigger liars in adulthood

A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology has found that parents’ lies are associated with detrimental effects when the child becomes an adult. They are more likely to lie when they grow up, along with other problems they face. "Parenting by lying can seem to save time especially when the real reasons behind why parents want children to do something is complicated to explain," said lead author Asst Prof Setoh Pei Pei from NTU Singapore's School of Social Sciences. "When parents tell children that 'honesty is the best policy', but display dishonesty by lying, such behaviour can send conflicting messages to their children. Parents' dishonesty may eventually erode trust and promote dishonesty in children," she explained.