Parents have a whole stockpile of truisms, sayings, and morality tales to keep their kids in line and teach them life lessons. It’s part of the parent training process--which you cannot claim to have finished until you hear your parents’ voice come out of your mouth. What with all the talk about starving kids in China and putting everything in its place, I’d say most of what kids learn comes from parent speak. Yep, there is plenty of folksy wisdom to go around , but I think the one that most parents spend the greatest chunk of time on is their version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf if-you-tell-lies-no-one-will-believe-you-when it’s-really-important lesson. I know my parents did. I know I did. And still do. Of the three of my kids who have developed into humans enough to tell the difference between truthing and fibbing, I have noticed a spectrum of truthiness. One of mine would tell the truth regardless of consequence, one never met a fact they can’t fudge, and one has a flexible, utilitarian approach to veracity. So, talk about integrity and honor and all that character-building stuff comes up pretty of
ten. Not always (if ever) successfully. Some subjects just can’t be taught by talking--you gotta get burned to figure out what’s too hot. In Shirley Bogart’s Nelly, That’s Not Nice, our little newt heroine learns about telling the truth when she gets a smack-down from her friends. But it’s better than getting eaten like that whole boy/wolf thing, right?http://www.amazon.com/Nelly-Thats-Not-Nice-AlphaPets/dp/B0006OZRP8
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