True Lies

One of the greatest frustrations that parents ask for my help is with how they should deal with their lying teen. I’m honored to facilitate Leadership & Parenting Workshops for Moms, Dads, Single Parents, and Guardians throughout the country on a regular basis.

Long before I recommend a specific strategy, I begin by asking them to describe their relationship with their teen son or daughter. More often than not, their perspective is ripe with animated testimonies of foul language, mistrust, poor decisions, and irresponsibility. Sound familiar?

No parent ever wants to hear that they are somehow partly responsible for their child’s dysfunctional behavior. It’s in these moments of truth where true leadership is brought to bear. Listen–what you value, you do. Lying, for a young person, is generally a means to an end. Once they study your behavior, and practice what they’ve learned, “Why should there be any cause for concern?”

How many times has your phone rang, and you’ve instructed your child to tell the caller you weren’t home or unavailable? How many times have you complained or gossiped about someone, and later told them everything was great? How many times have you lied about your age, and your child had a front row seat to witness the mastery of your conviction?

The sum total of what appears to be little “white lies” will grow up to become your greatest nightmare. I have never met a person who ever wanted to have their child grown up to be world famous for lying. Sadly, our culture is filled with varying levels of deceptions and lies. If you want your child to speak truth or display integrity, then you will be required to model character that’s taught, learned, and demonstrated in your teens life. Rules without relationships always lead to rebellion.

Until next time, Be encouraged.

I speak to hundreds of thousands of young adults, men, women, and couples annually on leadership, decision making, and relationships. Sometimes life has a way of being the antidote to life itself. If you’d like more information on this topic or how to bring me in as a speaker for your next event, please contact me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to subscribe to my Tribe/Newsletter on my homepage. Post your comment below, Share my blogs with your friends on social media, and visit my website often for daily inspiration.

Egypt McKee

Speaker | Author | TV Host | Life Coach