Teaching little children honesty
Due to their fear, the child with 2 years old could not admit that he broke his leaden soldier's leg although you bump into your children doing such things. With this age, helping your children recognize that what they have done is totally wrong is more important than forcing them to admit the faults.
With 2 year-old child, the border line between telling truths and telling lies is not clear. Before 3 or 4 years old, your children do not have ability to understand the concept of telling the truths. Therefore, your children do not understand what telling lies is yet.
When your children do not want to admit that they have broken a leaden soldier's leg, although you pump upon them doing such things, the reason lies in their fear. They think that you will get angry and wish that they had not done such things. At that time, helping your children see their faults when they have broken their toys is more important than forcing them to admit the faults.
What can you do?
Avoid asking such questions that you know exactly the answers. For example, you should not ask your children "You have broken the vase, haven't you?" when both you and your children know the truth that they have broken it. Even with children practicing walking, you should not create the situation, which finally lead to encourage your children to tell lies. When you see the scrawling on the wall, almost people tend to turn to them and angrily ask: "Did you draw on the wall?" Maybe your children will answer "no" although they still hold firmly co lour wax in their hands because they are afraid that you will get angry when they say "yes".
Instead of punishing them, you should say "I am very sorry for the dirty wall like that. Come on, now we will wash them up, right?" After that, you take a bucket of water, a piece of sponge. Then, begin to wash up and instruct them to do together. At that time, your children will have feeling of possessing the wall and think "This is shared wall so that we want to keep it clean. Your not being angry will make your children tell the truths and they will understand their responsibility attitudes. However, you do not feel surprised if they draw on the wall again next day. If such things happen, you will let them clean up again (unlike parents, children consider that such things are interesting games).
Do not forget to compliment your children. You do compliment them if they admit that they have done whatever wrong thing "I thank you because you tell me the truth! I know this thing is very difficult for you to do so." After that, you should solve the problem according to nature of problems. If you get angry and punish them, next time your children will not tell you the truths without reasons.
Setting an example: The best way to teach them honesty is to carry out your promises. If you say to them: "We will go to the park after lunch", you have to take them along to the park after that. Avoid giving the promises that you find them difficult to do for your children.
Let your children dream: When your older children go to the ballet classes, your second children will strongly declare: "I will go to ballet classes in my school." In fact, your children just try to imitate their brothers or sisters. Therefore, instead of explaining the importance of telling the truths, you only answer simply: "Why?" and let your children talk more about this. If your older children prohibit that thing, do remind older children the fact that they always liked dreaming like their younger brothers or sisters when they were little.
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