Children and Truth Telling
One aspect I truly appreciate about how our son and daughter-in-law are raising our grandchildren is their emphasis on truthfulness. They lead by example. They encourage the kids to tell the complete truth. And they thank the kids for telling the truth, although there might still be consequences for any misbehavior.
My husband and I took care of Owen (10), Ella (8), and Asher (3) this weekend while Mom and Dad were away. We had a fun time making Ritz Cracker Pie to fool Mom and Dad when they got home, catching bugs for Ella’s bug catcher, taking the dogs for walks, playing with blocks and other toddler toys, and using paint, glue, scissors, and ribbons to create all sorts of craft items.
But the 2 experiences that have lingered in my mind the longest are these:
Experience #1:
Owen: Grandma, Is it okay if I have some more screen time?
Me: What time is it now?
Owen: 8:22 PM
Me: And what time do you go to bed?
Owen: 9:00 PM
Me: And what would your Dad say?
Owen: ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!
You’re got to understand that Owen is all about screen time. It would have been so easy for him to be dishonest with his answer to gain more screen time, but he hasn’t been raised that way.
Experience #2:
At lunchtime, Asher is sitting in his high chair, with half a peanut butter and honey sandwich on his plate.
Asher: Grandma, me want honey on spoon like Ella.
Me: Sure, just a little bit.
(Asher licks the honey off the spoon.)
Asher: Me want more.
Me: (I cut his half-sandwich in half, so now he has 2 quarters). Eat one part of your sandwich, and then you can have some more honey on your spoon.
Asher: NO!
Me: Asher, is that the way you should talk to Grandma?
Asher: YES!
Me: Really? Is that the way to talk to Grandma?
Asher YES!
Me: Do you talk to Daddy like that?
Asher: Noooooooooo !
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter, which probably didn’t help the situation. Because then he laughed too. And then Ella laughed, and then Grandpa laughed.
But he still didn’t get honey on his spoon until he ate part of his sandwich.
It’s just so refreshing to see little ones not afraid to tell the truth.
- Honesty is the foundation of trust in any relationship. When kids learn to be honest, they develop trust with parents, teachers, and friends.
- Being thoughtfully honest, helps others see you as dependable and trustworthy.
- Learning to be honest as a child sets a valuable foundation for integrity and healthy relationships throughout life.
Owen, Ella, and Asher are well on their way to a healthy, happy life.
Comments (2)
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Made me smile, Karen. We just spent a week watching our son and daughter-in-law’s littles while mom and dad got some away time. These are wonderful days. When our Son and DIL returned our granddaughter (6) was happy to announce to them that grammy has 2 bellies. The room went silent and her daddy admonished her. Even Grandpa said, “that wasn’t very nice!” I know she did not understand what happened. So as I tucked her into bed and got ready to say good-bye, she said, “I’m sorry grammy.” I asked her, ‘what for?’ “For what I said!” was her quiet reply. I hugged her. “Was it the truth?” I asked her. “Yes!” she said quietly. I told her that sometimes the truth is hard. And when it is ‘hard’ you need to be careful. Sometimes the truth needs to be between you and another person. “Like you and me?” she asked. ‘Yup!’ I said. We talked a bit more and said our prayers. There’s an old saying that the Truth hurts. But I don’t think it hurts too badly; not when given in love!
Ahhh… Yes, Carol, These are the absolute most precious times. And, of course, she didn’t understand that what she said could be hurtful. She was just making an observation. This is one of the most wonderful ages, when the world is just full of wonder and new things.