[blparent] How do you all handle the issue of your kids not telling the truth?

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

My five-year-old has fallen into a bit of a bad habit of telling lies lately.  None that are too serious yet, but unfortunately her big brother, my stepson, helped her figure out that she could sneak things past me.  I told them not to take a kite to the park with them that belonged to their dad, and he waltzed right out the door with that kite under my nose when I didn’t know about it.  My daughter ratted him out when they got home, and later she told me she was uncomfortable with what he had done but that she didn’t know what to do about it at the time.  I said she could tell me anything and that she needed to let me know if her brother was doing stuff that made her uncomfortable.  Since then, she’s started testing the waters, like today she told me she had her shoes and socks on when she went outside with her friends to ride bikes.  When she came back in, her dad was home, and he scolded her for running around outside barefoot.  So I found out she really hadn’t put on her shoes and socks.  I’m afraid she’s going to scrape her toes or step on something and cut her foot.  I said that since I couldn’t trust her to tell me the truth, I’d have to check her feet with my hands before I let her go outside anymore so I knew she would be safe.  But it got me to wondering how some of you other blind parents have handled the issue since I don’t want her thinking she can pull stuff over on me.  Thanks.

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.