My SS9 lies constantly about little things, big things, anything to avoid taking responsibility. And no matter how overwhelming and obvious the evidence, he'll regurgitate, "I didn't do it" or whatever denial. It is SO frustrating. We've talked to him about lying, the story about the boy who cried wolf, little lies leading to bigger ones, bad character etc. and nothing gets through to him. Punishments don't seem to work either. FH and I are at a loss as to HOW we can BREAK this terrible habit. Any advice or do we just have to keep calling him on each and every lie?

That's pretty creative, and would hopefully get the kids to think twice about lying.

Part of the issue could be that they're afraid of punishment, and would lie anyway to avoid punishment.

I've also felt sick to death of my SS11's lying. He's been lectured about character and morals, made to write essays on trust and ethics, had freedoms and privileges revoked. And still kept on lying.

Most recently he really broke a straw with me. He was clearly, in no uncertain terms, expressly forbidden from ever touching my pellet guns (yeah, mine not DH, ha) unless I was there ensuring he was wearing eye protection and shooting at proper targets. He asked me one evening at dinner if we could spend some time shooting that weekend. He was all excited about it, and was talking about the guns in such a way it seemed to me that he had handled them very recently... So, I asked him if he had been messing with them. He said "no." I stared him down until he melted a little and confessed to just looking at them, but putting them right back. He insisted that he hadn't and wouldn't ever fire them without my permission. Yeah, right. He missed his window to tell the truth. When I pulled out the gear for our shooting day, I discovered a pellet in the chamber and a piece loose on one of the guns. I scoured the backyard and found ample evidence of his shooting. It was early morning, so I stomped into his room and shook him awake. I confronted him with the evidence. He tried his best to look all sorry, but I totally lost my temper and told him he was a useless liar. I even kicked over a basket of his clean laundry and shouted, "YOU'RE A LIAR!" I rattled off a list of the lies he'd told and launched him into a grueling punishment of housework and weeding on the spot while he was still in his little undies. Then, aside from ensuring his tasks were carried out that day, I didn't so much as look at him for 2 days after that. I pretended he didn't exist, and that was more than he could bear. He cried and apologized. I even pushed him away from trying to hug me and told him to save his worthless sorries. I got uber mean and told him he lost all credibility with me and was equivalent to the dirt on the soles of my shoes. He hasn't lied since then, but that's only been a month.

You know, I wouldn't really recommend my methods...but I have nothing to say to someone I am unable to trust. Even if that person is "just a child" I only end up despising them. I'd rather make that clear to the world than build up resentment inside myself. And don't even get me started on how many times that little punk has tried to use "I'm just a kid" to get out of his stupid acts...