by Alicia is probably posting about her kids! H.
Member since:
April 11, 2009

Do you ever LIE to your children?

August 20, 2009 10:48 AM EDT
views: 53 | comments: 28

I have lied to my children. I'll admit that right now. I did it to make my life easier and to avoid battles in the future. We have an ice cream truck that travels through our neighborhood several times a a day. One day while we were at the playground, my girls spotted it and heard it's tinny, nursery-rhyme music playing. They asked what it was, and I told them it was a Music Truck, and it drove around the neighborhoods playing music for the kids to dance to. They immediately began dancing and dance every time they hear it now-and never ask for ice cream. It's great because they love to dance, and I don't have to break their little hearts telling them "No, you can't have ice cream," three times a day. I reasoned that it's quite similar to when we tell them to be good, or Santa won't bring any presents this year. It's harmless, and it may even help. So how about you? Have you ever lied to your children?

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Comments: 28

but thanks for sharing
Jennifer K. Aug 20, 2009, 12:12pm EDT
Do your children believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy? Who told them that these people exist?
Steph-in-NE ..... Aug 20, 2009, 2:35pm EDT
where do I get my present from then and I am 40 something,, huh tell me that one we all get gifts from Santa,,
Emily B. Aug 20, 2009, 11:01am EDT
Nope. I figure if I lie to them about little stuff, how will they believe me regarding the big stuff? In the case of the ice cream truck, though, I wouldn't consider that a full-out lie--it does play music, so for them, it's about dancing. You just didn't mention the other part of what it does!
More like telling my version of the truth, huh? :)
Emily B. Aug 20, 2009, 12:15pm EDT
like in star wars, it's true "from a certain point of view."
star wars has a lot of wisdom, doesn't it?
anne ( way 2 crazy of a life ) c. Aug 20, 2009, 11:04am EDT
i have told brayden it is the music truck, but he also knows that there is ice cream on there, I am like you i pick my battles...but i try not to lie to them
Jennifer K. Aug 20, 2009, 11:06am EDT
I have told my children little white lies in order to avoid major melt downs in public places. I feel that I'm not really lying to them so to speak, I'm not disrupting everyone else around me also.
Exactly.
It all depends on how you define lying. I've never told then anything that will harm them. What about Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny? If you define lying as saying anything that is not true, then we have all lied to our children.
Emily B. Aug 20, 2009, 12:17pm EDT
I have to say that my parents never told us Santa Claus was real or any of the others. We knew about such characters, but we knew they were just fun make-believe. We weren't allowed to tell our friends that, though!
Have you decided to tell your girls about Santa or the Easter Bunny?
Emily B. Aug 20, 2009, 4:05pm EDT
we will not tell them they're real no.
sally g. Aug 20, 2009, 11:56am EDT
I think sometimes we tell our kids little lies but its not to hurt them. It has been years since they have been little that I have done something like you did to. But me and my kids talk about everything and we don't lie to each other no more.
Jennifer K. Aug 20, 2009, 12:11pm EDT
I'd have to say that we have all lied to our children about things like the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy. I know they're little white lies, but we do tell them these are real characters. Isn't this a little white lie?
Monique Mealue Aug 20, 2009, 1:23pm EDT
I have lied to my children when they were young, but now he is 13 and I think they know when you lie or not. I think I lie to him once in awhile because just to avoid an argument.
pamela r. Aug 20, 2009, 1:35pm EDT
i have lied, like many others its because I want to avoid something more unplesant.
Steph-in-NE ..... Aug 20, 2009, 2:36pm EDT
I dont flat out lie I just dont tell them,, this situation I would of tell them it is the ice cream and yet we can get some later when he come around again just not now...
dreama e. Aug 22, 2009, 3:32pm EDT
Ok really do you think you lied, did you tell them its not an ice cream truck? you choose what information to give out thats not a lie.
As my children were getting older I told them as much information as I felt they needed to know. If that made my life simpler so be it, I tell my children the truth always. But if I think that what they are asking is none of there business, personal mommy information then I tell them as such. I dont feel that we have to let anyone know everything to avoid telling a lie.
Also none of my children ever believed in Santa, the bunny, toothfairy and I promise that they first didnt tell anyone else to ruin there happiness or did they turn out messed up or feeling they lost out ( my oldest is 18 and is thankful that I did things this way )
Good luck on being a great mommy to your beautiful daughters :)
Mary G. Aug 25, 2009, 2:44am EDT
You gave them information that was truthful just not all the information. There are times I would give my daughter part of the information and leave some things out. Would I change things if I could go back in time? Yes, there are always things that could be done better.
d d. Aug 25, 2009, 4:29pm EDT
You do what you do for the safety and well being of your children. if it means skirting around the truth...no one can judge you as they do not know where you are coming from. Here's an example of when I lied to my children. We were on top of one of the tallest mountains in colorado for a wedding. A lightning and thunder/wind storm blew in and knocked out all the power. You could hear the wind taunting the glass on the reception hall. There was no way to get down the mountain in the dark. My youngest son at age 5, asked me in a trembling voice "are you scared mom?, are we safe?" I answered in my calmest voice, "everything will be all right, we're safer here than out there. Don't worry. Just close your eyes." Of course, I was scared and wanted to get my family out of there. The reception hall was built on the edge of a cliff.
You do what you have to do.
Wow, that must have been terrifying! And you're right, as moms, sometimes we have to seem calm and reassuring when, inside, we feel anything but!

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