We have been spending quite a bit of time recently trying to get The Boy to understand the concept of telling the truth. This has become especially important around the infamous bedtime routine as he attempts anything and everything to get out of going to bed on time.
As most preschoolers learn, if you say you have to go to the bathroom, that will get you a couple of extra minutes before the lights are officially out. The Boy has also figured out that if you say you have to poop, this will get you more time because it takes longer to finish that business than the other. The Boy, more or less, has always been a once a day kinda kid when it comes to number 2 since he turned one. But, when you are dealing with a child, you often need to give them the benefit of the doubt and let them go anyway if they say they have to. The problem with this in our house hold is that The Boy has usually just gone poop a few hours before bedtime. Nine times out of ten he doesn't need to go again and cannot go again if we let him try.
What does this have to do with telling the truth you might ask? Well, every night after The Boy goes through his routine and the light is turned off he stops us as we are leaving his room.
The Boy: I have to go poo poo.
Momma or Daddy: You just went.
The Boy: No, I didn't go yet today.
Us: Yes you did.
The Boy: No I didn't, not yet.
This goes on for a few minutes. We then start in with telling the truth. No matter how many times we explain what it means to tell the truth, he won't tell the truth. We always let him go to the bathroom if he says he has to, but we do try to reason with him first and we try to get him to understand the meaning of the truth. We really didn't think he was ever going to get it and then over the weekend I got this conversation.
The Boy: Momma, I have to go poo poo.
I walk back to his room to start the process. He is already out of his bed.
The Boy: Momma, come down here.
I bend down. The Boy, very lovingly, put both hands on my face, looks me straight in the eye and says...
The Boy: I didn't go yet today Momma, did I? Tell me the truth.
He hadn't...to the bathroom we go.
One week in!
7 years ago
1 comment:
Gratz.
A while ago I heard in the radio a newsman talking about lying. He was explaining how children learn to use it as a tool. He then went on to say how many adults don’t even notice the use of lies in their normal every day conversations. Anyway what I wanted to say is that I still remember my dad trying to stop me from lying too often. He was not successful, but I do try not to lie too much. The newsman went on to say that his grandfather was a happy liar and that he would lie every time he could. When asked for the time, he would give it wrong for the pure pleasure of lying.
English is not my first language, as you might have noticed, I say this in order for you to excuse any misspelled words :P
Good day.
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