Children can learn how to tell lies from a very early age, commonly by around three years of age. This is when they begin to understand that grown-ups are not mind readers, and that they can give people false information, perhaps to get out of trouble or to cover up.
Children generally begin to lie more between the age of four and six. They may become more skilled at telling a lie through their body language or by being good actors, but will often implicate themselves if pushed to explain further.
Research has shown that four year old children lie about once every two hours and six year olds lie once every 90 minutes.
When children begin school, they actually lie more often and can do so more convincingly. The lies will also become more sophisticated, their vocabulary grows and they will begin to understand more about how other people think. By the age of eight, children can lie successfully without getting caught.
