Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire, ever heard that one? of course you have. How do you teach your kids not to lie? It's tough when they see their friends lie, their teachers lie, their parents lie, our presidents lie, the news casters lie.
I don't have the answer except to set an example yourself, but, but, but I have to lie sometimes, don't I?
Like when I want to go to the beach, I tell work I'm sick. Or, I read the directions, but not really. I wasn't speeding. How about the double shot of booze you knock back, and your child asks, what are you drinking? you answer, "oh nothing" ahem, just water. I think children don't see the difference between a white lie and a whopper, a lies a lie.
Do you punish them when they tell you the truth? Who broke that vase? the doggy did it? No he didn't, your lying, go to your room. Who broke that vase? I did it daddy, you were playing to rough, go to your room.
See the difference, neither do I. Who broke that vase? I don't know daddy. (lying) Oh, OK, here's an ice cream cone.
So we reward them for lying and punish for the truth.
Last winter while I was working outside on a windy day I accidentally broke the windshield on my daughters car. It was a very small crack, not really noticeable unless the light was right. I decided not to say anything about it. About a week later she mentioned her windshield was broken and had no idea how it happened. It took me about two minutes maybe less to confess. I thought about how a persons true character reveals itself to themselves, when know one else knows, yet they do the right thing. When I thought about being a liar, which is what keeping silent is, or being the honesty is the best policy person I had represented myself to be her entire life, the decision was easy.
Children watch and learn everything you do, and they will be just like you.
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