Of a little liar...

The brat has become an earnest fibber. And to mamma, to whom lying is anathema even on pain of death and dismemberment, the feeling is terrible. That a child born of her womb and her DNA could resort so such deviousness is something that she cant come to terms with. She could do the easy thing and blame it on the pappa's DNA but the Pappa is beyond reproach himself, so obviously a rogue gene has floated into his genetic cocktail from somewhere in the family tree and is now making its presence felt. So far, the fibs are pretty harmless.About how he outran everyone at the school race and came first. Even though he was miles behind the finish line and had to made to clear the field so the next race could begin. About how he defeated all his band of tykes singlehandedly in a karate championship. How he battled a bhoot with his barehands.
About how he wrote his entire diary apne aap without any help, when the handwriting in said diary is clearly alien and adult. About how random folk told him he's looking very handsome. Which might be true too, according to this indulgent mamma.
And more scarily, how his head is paining and how he fainted at school and how blood came from his nose. Which has mamma hyperventilating until she takes deep breaths and realises that had anything of the sort happened, the school would have informed her, the brat being a high alert case. Or how he's finished his milk, when I can see clear evidence of it being splashed into the washbasin where it has been hastily discarded. About how the teacher says its okay if you dont complete your homework. Ad infinitum. Lies that are said so casually that they scare me with the ease at which they roll off his tongue.
The bits where the lies are primarily feel good boost his ego trip ones I overlook, and even indulge him in a bit. The ones where he has goofed up, broken something or done something that merits a scolding are the ones that generally gets him off with a stern warning not to lie, and not to repeat the offence. The ones that are saving face and getting out of work or eating/drinking undesirable foods are ones I catch him out on and explain to him as sternly as I can that mamma knows when he is lying and when he is telling me the truth. And it is easier to tell mamma the truth because mamma gets more angry if he covers up things with a lie. And Mamma will huff and puff and tear him apart like the little pig he is. And more on those lines guaranteed to get him quaking in his hooves.
And mamma worried. And worried. And worried. Because we do have a chronic liar and wastrel and genuine article bad apple in the immediate genetic pool. And wondered how she can nip this in the bud before it escalates to chronic levels. Before the brat took to lying as second nature. This article from Parentcenter.com gave me hope. Apparently, this is normal.
Lying is normal. It says. But of course, mamma knows that letting the brat think that he can get away from sitting down for his homework by faking a tummy ache is just not going to get him a reprieve. At the most it might get him some foul tasting syrup chucked down his throat to ensure he doesnt try the same stunt again.
How do you tackle your child lying?

From Babycenter.com
Is it normal that my big kid lies to me about everything -- even if I was there to see what really happened?
Yes, and it's quite common at this age. Most gradeschoolers aren't "good" liars — their fibs can be laughably transparent — but they can make up for poor quality with quantity.According to Jan Faull, a syndicated parenting columnist and author of Unplugging Power Struggles: Resolving Emotional Battles With Your Kids, Ages 2 to 10, your child may lie because she's trying to figure out what you know. When she was younger, you were omnipotent — at least in her eyes. Now she realizes your knowledge ends somewhere, but she's not sure where. This is what she's testing out.Another possible reason for lying is fear of punishment, says Faull. If your child thinks a fib can help her avoid a negative consequence, she'll quite logically want to try it.What can parents do about this frustrating behavior? First, says Faull, "don't set your child up to lie." For example, if you see her break a vase, you already know what happened. Rather than asking, "Did you break the vase?" simply say, "I see that you broke the vase. Let's clean it up."Of course, there will be times when you didn't see what happened (although you may have a pretty good idea). In these instances, share your feelings and tell your child what you want to know, rather than accusing her. For example, instead of saying, "You broke the vase, didn't you?" try, "I'm disappointed that the vase is broken, and I hope that if you know what happened, you'll tell me."If she balks, you can share any "evidence" you have — for example, "I heard you bouncing your ball in the house, and I see it lying right next to the broken vase, so it looks to me like the ball bounced into it." As Faull explains, "This will help your child learn how people piece together information."When your child does tell you the truth, don't forget to tell her that you appreciate her courage. But this doesn't mean she gets a free pass. Give her a natural consequence — for example, she has to clean up the vase and stop playing basketball in the house — and at the same time, let her know that telling you the truth is the most important thing.When your child lies, it's natural to feel angry. But try not to fly off the handle or threaten severe punishment. Saying things like "I'm going to find out if you're lying, and you'll be sorry" can harm your relationship and make her feel unsafe with telling you the truth, says Faull. And demanding an explanation for "why" she lied probably won't get you anywhere either. Most children under age 8 don't have "metacognition" — that is, they don't know why they do what they do.Instead, explain to your child that when she lies, it makes you feel angry and upset. Remind her that you expect her to tell you the truth, just as you do with her. Of course, you know what this means — you can't lie, either. Your child will model her behavior on yours, so let honesty rule the day.And finally, take a deep breath and gather your patience, because your child's lying won't change overnight. "It takes a long time for children to learn and understand the concept of the truth and a lie," says Faull.