re making clear & teaching what’s right is often why kids develop the defense mechanism of only ever telling parents what they wanna hear. Tough on both sides of equation. The fact you reflect and want to do what’s truly best for your son is more than half the battle &!sign of a great parent. It’s the absolutist, black and white, stubborn, “tough crap I’m right” parenting style that’s probably guaranteed to develop that dynamic of kids telling you everything but what they’re truly feeling, doing, thinking. But I fully understand and often guilty of “tough crap because I’m right” especially early on, but the price is never really communicating openly. I’ve really come to believe it’s all about timing & choosing right time for teaching moment rather than reinforcing w kid “whenever I tell Dad the truth I regret it” waiting until the emotion and anxiety in the kid has passed makes all the difference imo. I might be completely talking out my tailpipe, but it’s seemed to make a difference vs early days mistakes & stubborn inflexibility.