Lying is a common behavior of 4-5 year olds.  As a provider, you can reassure parents that lying, while frustrating, demonstrates critical thinking skills and comes from age-appropriate confusion between fantasy and reality.

The following suggestions can help create a relaxed reaction and make children more likely to tell the truth:

1. Acknowledge the feeling or wish that motivated the lie.
2. State what you believe happened.
3. Move on to a solution together.