Don't Tell Grandma!

Some people perpetuate lying in their families. Not by blatantly saying to their kids, "I want you to lie about this," but by putting their children in a position where the kids have to lie to protect the parent who asked them not to tell somebody something. 

But let me tell you something – kids KNOW when their parents are lying. 

I remember once being at a former friend's home and standing in the living room. Her office called in and she told whoever was on the phone that she couldn't come in today, because she was sick. 

Her son was standing right next to her and I looked into his eyes while she was talking. Her son knew she was lying, and I couldn't understand how she didn't know that for all of her talk about being such a good Christian, she was blatantly lying in front of her son and thought it was OK.

Protect family secrets is one thing, but when it's something as inane as, "Don't tell Grandma we didn't invite her," don't you think Grandma will find out she hasn't been invited? Because if Grandma asks her grandchildren, "So how was that event you went to last week?" what happens? The children now have to lie to their grandma.

What a lot of parents (apparently) don't understand is that when they put their children in a position where kids have to lie to protect a secret, parents are promoting lying.

One day, when they ask their children a question that requires an honest answer, they might not get one. 

Remember, if you teach your children to lie, don't expect to always receive honesty from them.

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