"One should not promise a child something, ad then not give it to him, because, as a result, the child will learn to lie." -Talmud Bavli, Sukka 46b
There are parents who...
- ...tell their child to pretend they're younger in order to get the children's price for a ticket
- ...tell their child to pretend they aren't home when they answer the phone
- ...tell their child if they do something bad, they won't get dessert...but then they give the child dessert anyway
What do these actions teach children? That lying is okay. Which it isn't, right? I mean, we've worked our whole lives with the understanding that the truth is always the best, even if it hurts. So, what makes it okay to lie sometimes?
I'm not saying I'm immune from lying, I'm certainly not. Every year I tell myself I want to work on honesty, and I think every year I do achieve another level of honesty, but it is a very difficult thing not to lie at all. But when we lie to a child, we teach them something, and we should be more careful around children to be honest and to teach honesty and truth.
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