credit: dadofliz 

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

Have you ever told a 'white' lie?  

No, because there is no such thing. To paraphrase Gertrude Stein, " A lie is a lie is a lie."

Is telling the truth important to you? Do you insist on honesty from your kids? How about your friends, your significant other? What value do you give to the 'truth and nothing but the truth'? Are you accepting of liars in your life?

If you insist on the truth from your kids, but they hear you lie, what does that tell them?   I believe it reinforces the thought that no one tells the truth all the time, and so it is okay for them to lie too. When anyone recognizes a lie from a parent or sibling or friend, they lose trust in that person's word, and it affects the relationship. They can no longer trust that person completely, and it adds to an unsettling feeling of insecurity.

You can't get away with, "Do as I say, not as I do." Kids don't miss much, and if you are a liar, and by example, stretch, bend, or distort the truth, that sends the message to them that lying is acceptable. They will rationalize that what you do, they can do.   After all, a lie is a lie is a lie.

If you, or the kids, have already slipped into that dark area and have become liars, then you need to have a serious discussion. As a family, make a commitment to the truth, yes, a conscious effort to always be honest and above board with each other. It will pay off in the long term.

Do you have a liar in your family?  How do you deal with the lying?  We'd like to know.

The Schoolmarm

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