Dear Queenie,
My 10-year-old niece is very badly behaved, including that she lies a lot. The problem is that whenever anyone complains to her mother, Mom believes her daughter instead of the complainer, even though Mom knows her daughter to be a liar.
The rest of the family thinks this is a real problem and the child should get counselling, but the child’s mother (my ex-sister-in-law) won’t listen to us but always takes her child’s side.
Queenie, how can we get her to get her daughter some help?—Worried uncle
Dear Uncle,
Whenever an adult is present, which should be all the time when this problem child is playing with other children, the adult should video-record everything that your niece does. It should not be difficult in this day and age of ever-present smartphones and other electronic devices. Then you will have irrefutable proof as to who is lying and who is telling the truth, and perhaps that will be enough to persuade the mother to get her child professional help.
There is also the possibility that authorities at the child’s school can force her to do so. I am assuming your niece is enrolled in an official public or private school. If not, you should inform the police Juvenile Unit or the Court of Guardianship. St. Maarten law requires that all children go to school.
