LYING!

Diary of a Mama……




Recently I have made a profound and shocking discovery. Children LIE! The average 6 year old lies every 90 minutes. Yeah, and the higher the IQ, the better the LIE! Who knew? I can proudly stand and raise my hand high. ME, ME, ME, I KNEW!

Having two boys gives me an opportunity to tackle such phenomenons, as children becoming versed in the art of fabrication. This habit is obviously an instinctual one. We don’t set them down and give pointers, or enroll them in Lying 101. Who knew that being a con artist was such an animalistic thing? In the beginning it starts out as their magic invisible force field. They use it as a shield to deflect the Disappointment we hold towards the Picasso we now have on the wall. They intuitively deny, with yellow crayon in hand, ever seeing the artwork let alone being the artist. Let’s admit, in the beginning it is irresistibly cute. This is where we go, entirely wrong. Immediately picking up the cell to call Grandma, “You won’t believe what CHUCKY did?”

My oldest has no POKER FACE, and lives by the Washington rule of thumb. When he chops down the cherry tree, the canary sings the minute he senses your presence. But, my youngest is a tall,” LARGE “tale weaving machine. He is wolf boy, and cries some imaginative fables. According to him eating cheetos, the hot variety, can cause death in pre schoolers. “I had a best friend who ate a hot cheeto and died. He died because he had nothing to drink!” This particular fib has made it to legend status in my family. Everyone from grandparents, great aunts and cousins like to relive the cheeto experience. As entertaining as this may be, it could soon escalate into a bigger problem.

What do you do when lying becomes almost habitual? Why would one child feel the need to perjure themselves on a daily, sometimes hourly basis? “I was bitten by a spider once, it hurt real bad. But it wasn’t the poisonous kind.” He has NEVER been bitten by a spider. “I rode my bike down the street; a bird flew down and pecked my helmet. I had to fight it off!” UMM, don’t think so son! Try again.

I wish I had some great words of wisdom, but sorry folks I don’t. Every child is different, and why my youngest lies may be entirely unique to him. I blame it on EGO. An enormous, super, sensitive EGO! An inner nemesis that he is in a constant battle with. He is competitive, spirited and aggressive towards perfection. He has to look good for his BOYS.

My Husband and I try to stop him in his spin. “Whoa, Charlotte, slow it down!” Is this a fish tale or is this a real one? We let him tell his narrative, but make sure to acknowledge that WE know it is inflated. What is most important to us is that we do not hinder his creative side. The ability to grab hold of your imagination is so powerful and rare in most cases. He needs to know that while telling stories is fun and attention getting, there is a thin line.

LYING, not an easy subject to tackle, especially in our case, we don’t want to bruise the EGO and damage his creativity. But unlike the tale of a clever spider, spinning accolades to promote the greatness of another, my guy constructs whoppers to promote Himself. “SOME PIG!”

kizzez, huggz n luvz