Every day of the week I must tell something like 20 lies. I realized the other day, as I was teaching Roxie not to lie to mommy, that I am a hypocrite. Examples? Here are a few doozies.
As I'm eating the last cookie; "No Roxie, I'm not eating a cookie. I'm eating a cracker".
When Roxie wants to order a ridiculous princess book from the book order; "Oh dear. It looks like they are all out of that one. Let's get something else."
When Roxie says a word I don't like; "Mommies never say bad words, you know".
I know they are pretty innocent but what am I saying about myself as I try to teach my kids good principles and here I am lying. Don't you remember as a kid realizing that your parents lied? It was so shocking. My mom used to lie to me to get me to go to the doctors. She would bait me with a trip to the mall and then suddenly we'd be at the doctors. It happened more than once. I don't blame my parents. I was a HUGE baby when it came to the doctors.
Matt's dad once told Matt that they were part Indian. On a camping trip with the boy scouts Matt ran through poison ivy figuring he had Indian blood in his veins and it would save him. It did not.
Will Roxie and Peter forgive me for lying to them? Will they remember? Will I stop? Not likely.
2021 Mother’s Day Card Printable
5 years ago
4 comments:
My grandmother's maiden name was Whitehead, what's more indian than that?
Nice Matt.
And I'm dying at your mother having to trick you to the Dr.'s...WHAT?! Coming from someone with a moth phobia, girl you are crazy! :)
p.s. We ALL do the same thing!
I try really hard not to lie to my kids or just in general really because I've had so many terrible liars in my life. By terrible I mean good liars, but the lies they tell are terrible. Anyway, I hate lying, so I'm just honest and if they ask for something I'm having or something like that I say no and pull out the old "because I said so". This was the first year that I had to lie about the whole Santa Clause thing and I HATED it! I don't know how much longer I'm gonna keep that one up actually.
This kind of lying that you're talking about is not a big deal though. You shouldn't worry about it. I really do think everybody does it, unless you are a super freak like me. I don't think you should feel like a hyporcrite either. What you are doing is different then when kids lie to their parents. When kids lie it's because they're being naughty (or they don't understand they're lying), when parents lie it's in the best interest of their children, ie: saving them from the obsession of ridiculous princess stuff; or trying to explain that everybody makes mistakes sometimes when you're just trying to teach them not to use bad words; or there aren't any cookies left, so why make her upset. There, I justified you. No worries lady!
I did not lie to you, did I??? Well, maybe a time or two but it was all part of your training to be a parent. Sometimes, I think younger kids would more have a hard time to understand the real truth and we soften it with not necessarily a lie, but only the partial truth. I don't think you kids were severely emotionally damaged but us tricking you to get you into the doctor. You were afraid of everything anyway.
Dad
Post a Comment