And A Simple Way To Stop It As parents, we all want our kids to
grow up and be honest people. The reality is, though, that most
kids try out lying at one time or another. Worse, as well-
meaning parents, we can — gasp! — sometimes lead our kids into
lies. If it's not handled well, the situation can become really
difficult for parents. It erodes trust and we start to wonder
and worry what's really going on with our kids, says Phil
Houston, a former CIA officer and co-author of Spy the Lie. He
calls this a "mind virus." And, as kids get older, some of the
lies can be serious ones, he says. "For example, lies about drug
and alcohol use, lies about who they are associating with or
interacting with, lies about dishonest behavior such as petty
theft." These can have disastrous consequences for families. So
how do we make sure our kids learn the importance of telling the
truth from the start — and how do we handle it when our kids
aren't honest? There are a few keys: - understanding when and
why kids lie - modeling h