Sunday, January 14, 2007
Liars
For anyone that knows me - you know that I HATE people that lie. I have no time for liars, it drives me absolutely bonkers. There is no point in lying - it gets you nowhere. You end up hurting the people you love and really you just end up looking like an idiot. So I guess the Lord thought it would be comical to plant one right in my own little family. Ethan is turning out to be the worst liar in the world and even still - he chooses to lie about everything. Today after church for instance, we put the puppies with Noelle and Hank (their parents) outside to go potty (which they do relatively quickly) and then after about 5 minutes I let them all back in. Well today was especially hectic because Dan had a meeting right after church, so I was a little side-tracked when I let them all back in. About 2 hours later Dan asks me if I have one of the puppies - "No, they should all be in the living room with Hank." Well of course one is missing. So I search the back yard in all the usual hiding places - no puppy. So then I go into the kids rooms and wake them up - "Do you have one of the puppies" All of them reply "NO". So then I start to get frantic. Again, in my church clothes and slippers I go into the back yard in search of the missing puppy. It is nowhere to be found. So I come inside and put on Dan's tennis shoes and his big Army jacket , I put Noelle on her leash (thinking the mothers bond could find the puppy - right?) and we go around our entire street and the street behind us - the two parks close by - under all the cars - in the bushes - we even ask neighbors if they have seen it. Nothing. Oh did I mention the current Killeen temperature is 29 degrees with freezing misty rain! I had little ice crystals forming on my hair when I finally walked back into the house (I was going to get the car keys and try that route). Guess what I was greeted with upon entrance? ? ? oh yeah - ETHAN WAS SLEEPING WITH THE DANG PUPPY!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH!!!! I just burst into tears I was so relieved and ticked off all rolled into one. I am so lost on how to get him to understand the ramifications of lying. We have tried soap in the mouth, we have tried Hot Chili sauce in the mouth, we have tried the guilt trip - I am so lost on what to do?? HELP!! If you have any ideas please share!!
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6 comments:
Oh Jeni! No fun! I am so sorry girl! I just told mom and dad this, and we talked about it for a long time...its a hard one though! Hard to know how to adress it!
Every time you catch him in a lie, take away one of his "prize possions" and have him earn it back by doing something good. When he does it again, take away 2 of his favorite things for a week. He eventually will get the picture.
Yikes! I would have cried too. Probably I would take away something tied to the lie. Lie about puppy...no puppies for a week. Lie about candy no candy for a week etc. But it seem's like he's just going to be a stubborn little bugger. Or you could choose an appropriate lie directed at him and try to get him to see what chaos or disappointments it causes. I tried that with the kids ingnoring me. I ingnored them and it drove them bonkers.
This just makes me sad - to think that his lie drove you to the brink of tears and heartache. Did your crying seem to have an effect on him? I don't have any really good solutions, I'm afraid, but the other comments seem really good. I think the disap;ine is going to have to be something that affects him sorely before he gets the point. Sad but true.
Suey
Oh Jeni,
Wow, so sorry to hear about your sunday. I have going through that with Brandon several times. I took things from him when it happened and that seemed to help. He still tries but now he knows that I always know and that there will be consequences for his actions.
Can he write yet? Have him write sentences. Maybe you will have to wait until he is older for that one.
Ok, what about doing the boy who cried wolf thing? Maybe that would make him see that lying doesn't get you anywhere cause eventually you won't believe him.....
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