My 6 year old dd is experimenting with lying ALL the time!

[Ligeia]

My six year old daughter has recently become very interested in lying. Up until now she has always been very honest and happy to please others. Lately she'll lie about things that don't even matter at all just to see if she can get away with it. I'm at the point where I don't believe most of the things she says! I don't know how to discourage this in a way that will make an impact. I've tried explaining to her how she is the one who is hurt most by this behavior, especially when it results in her getting really upset. I've told her it causes me to lose trust and she can lose privileges because of it, not being able to run around outside with her friend, for example, since I can't trust that she'll stay where she says she will. Sometimes it clearly really hurts her brother's feelings, which she feels bad about but then still lies to him later. She seems to get all the points I make but doesn't change her behavior at all. She even lied to her teacher about something last week, trying to get away with not doing an activity. It seemed strange because she actually really enjoys the activity so I can't imagine it had anything to do with the actual situation but was about experimenting with what she can get away with.  !! 

Does anyone have experience with this? Any advice? ack!

[IdentityCrisisMama]

With my DC I found confronting lying bluntly and confidently worked well. So, if DC said, "I'm finished picking up the toys in my room." I would respond, "I checked your room and it is not finished. Go finish cleaning your room."  I was also careful not to encourage a lie (by asking a question I already knew the answer to and careful not to encourage further lying by "pressing the issue". 

[meemee]

can you jot down all the instances where she lied and try to figure out what is going on.

i believe lying is the symptom and not the disease.

however i have not faced this. i have had dd lie to me and we had a talk - and i realised i needed to change my parenting - and things were ok after that. 

does she need attention? is lying a sort of rebellion and she needs to do something so she can be seen for who she is?

the issue is not to stop her lying but to take away the cause so she doesnt have to lie in the first place.

i have also found instead of being serious initially i would introduce the subject in a lighthearted joking manner. and see how she reacts.

perhaps do a role play so she can see how it hurts her brother. 

however i am also wondering if 6 is about the age when they kinda lie to figure life out. because i think 7 and 8 is the consciousness developing stage and i wonder if lying is the precursor to it.