Toddlers who tell lies early on are more likely to do better in life, according to a Canadian study of 1,200 children aged two to 17. In the study, only a fifth of two-year-olds were able to lie, the BBC reports, but at age four, 90 per cent were capable of lying, which increased to a peak at age 12. The brain processes involved seem to indicate a child’s intelligence. “Parents should not be alarmed if their child tells a fib. Their children are not going to turn out to be pathological liars. Almost all children lie. It is a sign that they have reached a new developmental milestone,” said Dr. Kang Lee, director of the Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto. “Those who have better cognitive development lie because they can cover up their tracks,” he said. In the study, children were tested by being told not to peek at a toy placed behind their backs while leaving the room. They were monitored over video, then asked if they’d turned around.