The line between fantasy and reality is blurred for preschoolers. This explains why they  lie. The child is not trying to deceive you. She just wants to say something that will make you happy even if it is not true.You can try and encourage the child to tell the truth while at the same time not scaring her.

An example is that a if a  child draws on the wall with crayons, you can explain to the child that crayons are for coloring books and help the child clean the wall.

Another reason preschoolers may lie is to spout their active imaginations.  They come to believe things that they imagine really happened such as invisible friend ate the ice cream in the fridge. You can explain to the child that invisible friends cannot eat ice-cream. Use a language that the child will understand and don’t condemn the child.  You can join in the fun and help them pursue their imagination.

Sometimes the child may lie because they really cant remember if they did it or not. It is likely that if something happened in the morning, a 2 year old may find it hard to remember by evening.

You always have to stay away from negative comments. You can tell the child that  it is important to tell the truth rather than saying you lied.  It labels the child and makes her feel  bad. This will make her start hiding things from you.