Did I do that....?

Luke 16:10 - "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." (NIV)

How do you teach a child to have honesty and integrity?

In our society…. What is the definition of honesty and integrity? To many children, they believe that, “you are honest and what you do is not wrong until you get caught.”  The youngest child will not admit that they “did it”, whether it is breaking a toy, spilling a food or drink or following directions.  

What is honesty and why is it so important? What's wrong with a little white lie? The Bible actually has a lot to say about honesty, as God has called Christians to be honest people. Even little white lies to protect someone's feelings can compromise your faith. Remember that speaking and living the truth help those around us come to the Truth.

I have always said that I am not smart enough to lie. I cannot remember what I have told to one and then be able to follow up with the story that it takes to keep the lie going.  It is so much easier to tell the truth all the time. Sometimes though, a little white lie is just not telling the WHOLE truth. We are now walking into a new area that God has convicted me to visit. When we provide less details that needed or selective details that withhold needed information…. Guess what… we are telling a lie.

Children learn to lie by being allowed to not tell the whole truth. As parents, we need to model the example that we want our children to use and we much interact with our children and other adults with high expectations or integrity and honesty. But there are a few simple activities that we can do to assist.

1.      1. Ask your child if they have completed a task that you requested that they do…. The answer should be truthful. You need to follow up to ensure honesty.        

      2. School age students need to know that you have an open relationship with their teachers. Know the schedule for school communication. When do report cards and papers come home? Do you communicate via email or phone weekly? Do you communicate positive and negative actions that you and the teacher discuss?

3.      3.  Play a game with your young child similar to “truth or dare”. Train the mind and eye to distinguish between a “white lie” of interpretation and the truth

       4. Look at the words exact and approximately.   The truth is exact and a lie can be as simple as      approximate.  Show examples of exact and approximate in measurement, choices and decisions.

5.       5.  Role play to give the child the opportunity to see the side effects of lies. Use phrases such as:   
           How does it feel to find out you cannot trust what a person says?

     What would you say to tell the truth about this situation?

     Can you share a time when you felt that I did not tell you the truth?

The development of integrity and  getting a child use to telling the truth at an early age  will provide a foundation that allows the student to make decisions with confidence as they get older. As parents, we need to provide a home environment that is safe…. Yes… they are going to try to lie…. Do the circumstances and after effects of the lie carry a heavier penalty than telling the truth?  Set the consequences prior to the action.  Have the guidelines set early on and pray daily. God will listen and answer.Truth in the small will lead to truth with the large. God wants us to be truthful in all things no matter the size.  As parents... we are the accountability partner for our children.
Love is expecting the best... not making excuses!