There is little that I like less than a lying kid
and thus, I scored big on the lottery
and managed to snag a few of them.
Truth be told (get it? aren't I funny?)
Kate is a very honest kid.
Very rarely is she deceptive any more.
Well, either that or she has honed her skills to the point
that I don't even realize I'm being lied to.
Chris is prone to panic lying.
He has been making efforts to stop doing this,
which I appreciate because if I have to go through the
"You always get in more trouble for lying than just telling the truth"
spiel one more time, I think I will explode all over the kitchen ceiling.
Fast forward to today
and the newest version of panic lying,
this time starring the caboose of the family.
"Trey, I'd like to look over your math and spelling from last night."
He gets out his math while telling me he didn't have any spelling homework.
"Really? I thought you had spelling homework every day."
His eyes slide to the side as he shifts restlessly.
"Um, she said we didn't have to do it."
"Hmmm. That's odd. Let me see your assignment book."
He clutches the assignment book tightly to his chest
as his head shakes rapidly from side to side.
"I didn't write in it. We don't have to."
At this point, I am caught in the emotions I often find myself feeling with this last boy:
I simultaneously want to shake him til his teeth rattle and also laugh at his obvious panic.
It is starting to dawn on him that his Mom might be on to his lie
and he is silently freaking out.
"Give me your assignment book, Trey."
He hands it over and I open it.
"Hmmmm. It says ABC order right here on Tuesday. For spelling."
"It does?" His voice comes out as a squeak.
The jig is up.
"Trey, you had spelling homework. You knew you had spelling homework.
Why didn't you do it? Why were you lying to me about it?"
Quivering chin, tear filled eyes.
He opens his mouth and chokes out the words, hands scrubbing his eyes.
"I forgot my spelling journal at school again and I know I forgot it yesterday too and you took me to get it and I knew you would be mad at me for forgetting it again..."
He has a point.
I would have been pissed.
There would have been a lecture about responsibility and being in third grade etc etc.
But now he's gone and done it.
Now there will be TWO lectures and I just don't have time for that when the bus is coming in ten minutes.
A quick, bullet point lecture:
* It's always better to tell the truth than to lie and then face consequences for both.
*I always love it, even when I am angry or disappointed in something you've done.
*Trust is important.
So now I gotta come up with consequences
and rehash this in the afternoon.
Hopefully this phase with him will be short-lived.
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4 comments:
okay....we are experiencing some of the exact same stuff that I just now also blogged about (cool blogging karma we got happening!)
I'm trying to remain calm...how do you do it?? I'm thinking that there is not enough Calgon or beer to make momma feel better.
~~sigh~~
breathe...breathe...breathe...
Oh these kids! There are so many layers that they have to sort through and so many ways to make the wrong decision.. you would think that it's easy enough to figure out that lying will get you in trouble but when they know they are going to be in trouble anyway why do they always try the lie? I'm glad you caught it! Now I have to go blog about Zane to give you and Debbie a glimpse at your future.. bwahahaha
Oh dear. I hope it's a phase too. I honestly think they work themselves up over the "not doing" more than the lying aspect...no matter how many times we tell them the lie is far worse.
UGH. I haaaaaate it when I catch them in lies like this. You are not alone...
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