My toddler has started telling lies to get out of trouble, is this normal?

The lies can be big or small, but the good news is, they are not being told to deliberately deceive or manipulate you. Children at age three simply cannot say things with malicious intent in mind. In most cases, children forget about events that happened a few hours ago. If your child did something wrong, such as knock over a glass of milk onto the carpet, the normal response is to is to deny that it ever happened. It is important not to make your child feel uncomfortable about telling you lies at this age. Do not accuse your child directly of lying, even if you know the truth of the situation.

Emotional pain is something children do not like dealing with and they will often blame a situation on someone else, so that they can avoid dealing with the repercussions. It is normal for a child to invent a reality, believe in it and try to convince everyone else that their version of what happened is the truth.

If you admonish your child at the age of three for telling lies, which are actually innocent in nature,  then your child will not want to tell you about anything that is potentially discomforting in the future. Instead of becoming angry, you should teach your child the appropriate response to a situation, instead of lying about it. Children should feel confident and comfortable enough to tell their parents anything, even if it is unpleasant or could get them into trouble. You should not reprimand your child too harshly and assure your child that he or she is loved.