Small children don’t need to think about everything yet, and can’t always be persuaded to be responsible with the truth. Here are some of my lies:
- I don’t speak German.
- I don’t eat meat because I don’t like the taste.
- Airport scanners check if there are biscuits in our luggage. Biscuits are not allowed.
- I would never buy an ice cream.
- Come along now or I’ll go without you.
I’m just slightly curious – why the lie about speaking German?
@Graham Lyon: I guess the mother teaches German and Murray English. Classic way to raise a child with two languages.
@Murray: So you do like the taste of meat, do you?
I would have told the small person that some items are not allowed in the aeroplane. He will understand that knifes and guns could be harmful to others. He is not allowed to bring such items to the kindergarten anyway. Guns are generally seen as a traditional hunting tool in our family. A tool with strict rules like other dangerous tools that can harm a human being.
I respect your choice of selective truth, but I have decided to just tell things mostly as I see it myself. It can be a bit more stressful, but it will probably work out. Our kid needs to learn the realities like the differences between a police state like China and a Western-European country. He will probably learn freedom in Europe and the traditional art of not having a opinion in China.
We speak three languages at home. No clear strategy yet, but we have noticed that some others mixed language couples follow the same path as you mentioned. Our kid speaks Chinese, English, and Norwegian at home. Few people understands what he talks about when he uses all three of them at once. Our strategy plan needs some optimization.
I have to admit I didn’t like the title of your blog post. “You should be honest with kids!” was my first reaction.
Then I read your lies and laughed. I don’t know how many times I’ve said “Come along now or I’ll go without you.” and then wondered what I would do if it didn’t work …
If you run short of lies to tell, I recommend this book: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lies_to_Tell_Small_Kids :)
Ha ha ha! But once he figures out how to use the interweb you are screwed (now)! ;-)
@murray: Lol…but you don’t have to tell your kid that you don’t speak german. Just don’t speak it…
it’s what we do @home, mom is teaching him english and I’m teaching him german. He’ll be 2 in a couple of weeks, and he already know when to speak english or german.
Children deserve truth, though that’s very reasonable lies :)
Last one is a threat, that’s unfair!
It is not a good thing to threaten a child with being left behind. They’ll soon figure out it is a hollow threat and then you’ll end up looking unreliable and untrustworthy.