Liar Liar
Confession: I lie to my child.
I lie daily. Sometimes multiple times. I always swore I never would. That I would be honest with her and explain things so she could understand them. And I would never lie because that erodes trust and then she'll think I'm always lying to her. But I've done it. And I'll do it again.
I lie to my child when I tell her that her dolls can't go for errands because they are sleeping. I tell her the dog doesn't want to go outside and play. I've told her that lunch is supper and breakfast is lunch and supper is breakfast. I've told her that jar of cookies is empty. I don't know how many toys I've told her are broken. Just the other day, I had to give her boots back because they didn't fit. When she threw a fit and ran away with them, I told her the boots had to go back to their mommy - and she gladly handed them over. When she asked me if the geese flying overhead are going home to their mommy and daddy, I told her that they are going to the field to eat. After she asked me again and again if they were going to go see their mommy and daddy, I said yes, they are going to see their mommy and daddy. She then went back to her drawing. I lie so she'll behave. I lie so she'll understand and I lie because that's the answer she wants. And when she gets older, I'll still lie. I'll tell her that if she doesn't eat her carrots, her hair will fall out. If she sits too close to the TV, she'll go blind. And the classic, if you keep making that face, it will get stuck that way. Maybe by then, some of the old lies will have gone away. She'll understand that geese fly north and south when they do. That if she takes too many toys out of the house then they'll get lost and sometimes, you can't keep everything you are given. And it doesn't matter what you have for breakfast/lunch/supper, you have to eat it anyway. But for now - this is what she understands, this is what makes my life easier and this is what I'll stick with.
So to all you sanctimonious mommies out there who believe that 100% honesty is the way to go...I can't hear you, I'm sleeping.
I lie daily. Sometimes multiple times. I always swore I never would. That I would be honest with her and explain things so she could understand them. And I would never lie because that erodes trust and then she'll think I'm always lying to her. But I've done it. And I'll do it again.
I lie to my child when I tell her that her dolls can't go for errands because they are sleeping. I tell her the dog doesn't want to go outside and play. I've told her that lunch is supper and breakfast is lunch and supper is breakfast. I've told her that jar of cookies is empty. I don't know how many toys I've told her are broken. Just the other day, I had to give her boots back because they didn't fit. When she threw a fit and ran away with them, I told her the boots had to go back to their mommy - and she gladly handed them over. When she asked me if the geese flying overhead are going home to their mommy and daddy, I told her that they are going to the field to eat. After she asked me again and again if they were going to go see their mommy and daddy, I said yes, they are going to see their mommy and daddy. She then went back to her drawing. I lie so she'll behave. I lie so she'll understand and I lie because that's the answer she wants. And when she gets older, I'll still lie. I'll tell her that if she doesn't eat her carrots, her hair will fall out. If she sits too close to the TV, she'll go blind. And the classic, if you keep making that face, it will get stuck that way. Maybe by then, some of the old lies will have gone away. She'll understand that geese fly north and south when they do. That if she takes too many toys out of the house then they'll get lost and sometimes, you can't keep everything you are given. And it doesn't matter what you have for breakfast/lunch/supper, you have to eat it anyway. But for now - this is what she understands, this is what makes my life easier and this is what I'll stick with.
So to all you sanctimonious mommies out there who believe that 100% honesty is the way to go...I can't hear you, I'm sleeping.
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