We try to encourage our kids to be truthful. Evan when they’ve done something they know is wrong and have been caught we try not to overreact. I’d rather they feel comfortable enough to confess when caught versus keep something a secret. I think when kids start to lie it just becomes easier and easier and the lies get bigger and bigger.
But sometimes as a parent a lie comes in handy: No nana is sick today so we can’t go over to her house; broccoli is the super hero’s secret energy snack, shhhh; it’s the school policy that you can’t wear long underwear to school under your pants which are under your skirt.
And now a new lie has unfolded in our house, well, not really a lie, I just haven’t corrected my son on it. My son, like most boys his age, is up to a lot of sneaky tricks. I’ve often caught him jumping on furniture or climbing where he’s not suppose to be. And each time I catch him my son’s is surprised since usually I’m not right there when it happens. He has decided that mom’s have super powers (like God) that enable them to see their kids and what they are doing, no matter where they are. It is true, I can usually tell from the sound or in some cases lack of sound, that my son is up to no good on the second floor of the house.
So now that my son thinks I have this super power to catch him, he doesn’t pull his tricks as often as he use to. If a little white lie stops some of his behaviour, is that so wrong? Or maybe I really do have super powers, which means maybe it’s not a lie at all. Hmm, I think I’m going to go for the super power story.
Have you ever told a little white lie to your kids?
