Here are the posts in a chat room on the Internet. In this chat room, parents are talking about some of the problems they have with their children. Marisa: Is it ever OK to lie to a child? My 10-year-old son plays soccer. He's not very good at it, but he loves it. Yesterday he played very badly but happily. When he finished the game, he asked, "Did I play well?" I said, "Yes! You're a great soccer player!" Did I do the right thing? Bay 212: Yes, you did the right thing. Sometimes you have to tell lies that are not harmful. It's necessary to tell white lies in life. Your purpose was to make him feel good. Now he's ready to play soccer again. Bernie: I don't think there is ever a good reason to lie to our children. Parents are children's examples. We should be honest in order to teach honesty to our children. If you keep hiding truth from them, they will not trust you or respect you. Honesty is the first step to build a good relationship between parents and children. Missy: You lied to make your son feel better, but you missed a good chance to teach him a life lesson. People should work hard for what they want. Maybe next time you can say, "No! You didn't play well today. Great soccer players practice a lot. Let's go and practice. " The truth will make him strong and a good soccer player. Parviz: Parents should be honest to their children, but they don't have to tell the whole truth. Next time when your son asks, "Did I play well?" you can say, "What do you think?" Then your son can tell you what he thinks. That way, everything you say is true, and you avoid the truth that hurts him. |