After getting home from seeing my folks out of town, we reached home quite late last Sunday. Upon reaching, to make way for the car to go in, we reversed another car. Without seeing a neighbor’s car behind, we hit and scratched it.
Since it was late at that moment and nobody was around, no one saw what happened. We had the luxury to keep the incident swept under the carpet. Or we braved ourselves telling our neighbor the truth.
We hesitated and we had one night to consider which course of action to take.
But since J and K know about this incident too and I want to take this as a lesson for us (i.e. face consequences for what we have done) and show J and K the importance of honesty, we decided to admit the wrong that we had done.
We made up our mind and told the neighbor about the accident next morning.
I was prepared to pay for the damage. Contrary to the impression we have on the neighbor, she turned out to be a highly forgiving person. She told us not to worry about that since there are only minor scratches. I am not sure if I can be like her but I am blessed to have such a nice neighbor.
I am telling you not to boast but here’s my point and it happens even more subtly than this incident.
It’s so ingrained in us that we are not aware of this mistake when we are making one. But the effect on children is extremely negative.
For some reason, some parents are not honest with the child.
They tell lies to please the child.
They tell lies to avoid tantrums.
They tell lies to get the easy way out.
When the child doesn’t see sausage in his lunch, the mother says, “It’s in there, you just can’t see it.”
The child says, “I want to have M&M’s.” The mother say noncommittally, “I’ll get it tomorrow.”
The parent says he will sleep with the child but the day has never come.
And this classic:
When there’s a call that daddy doesn’t want to answer, he tells the child to tell the caller: “Daddy says he is not at home.”
You don’t even realize you are lying because it comes so naturally.
For the sake of the family and children, from now on, we have to pay extra attention before you answer or speak. Don’t think that you can get away from your lies. Because the child is watching you… and emulating you. And he will think lying is normal and acceptable. One day he might even do it on YOU!
For more parenting tips that gets to the bottom of the issues, hop on a car and zoom to:
