Have You Ever Been Caught Fibbing by Your Kids?

I was called out by my six year old son last night and it made me feel so proud.  I am not sure if it was because he was right or because I realized he “does” listen to me.  I guess I would have to say it was probably a little of both.

Here is a little background information that will help you to understand the story.

I have two children that struggle a lot at bedtime.  We have a routine where my husband and I alternate putting the kids down.  On this particular night, it was my husbands turn to take them to bed.

For whatever reason, my son was upset and told me he only wanted me to put him down.  It wouldn’t have been a big deal, but he does this often, so my husband feels like my son is taking advantage of me.  (Can you believe that?)

I told my son to dry it up and go back to bed with his dad.  Then I told him I would come back shortly and say that I wanted to be the one to put them down for the evening.

It was just a “little” white lie that I knew would keep my hubby from getting upset with the kids.  No big deal, right?

WRONG!!

I did just as I said.  I waited until they were settled in bed and then I came back.  I told my husband that I really wanted to be the one to put them down, which he believed without question.

I was happy knowing that my son got what he needed and my husband didn’t have to be upset about it.  It was a win-win for everybody, except it wasn’t.

We had laid in bed for almost 30 minutes when my son turned to me and said, “Mom, why did you kinda lie to daddy?”

My heart sank, because I knew exactly what he was talking about.

We have taught our children that the truth is ALWAYS best, regardless of the circumstances.  We do our best to try and model this behavior for them, yet here I was doing just the opposite.  I was caught in an obvious fib, no matter how big or how small it may be.

It was at that moment, that I knew what we had been trying to teach him was being heard.

I was so impressed with him that he not only saw I was being dishonest, but that it also clearly bothered him.

I explained the reasoning behind why I did what I did, but then told him I was wrong.  I apologized to him and then called his daddy back to tell him the truth.  Calling his daddy back was also my sons suggestion.  He told me I would feel better if I told him the truth before we went to sleep. (pretty smart kid, huh!)

This story is such a great reminder for me that the lessons I teach to my children are just as important for me to adhere to as well.

Darn kids, they really keep you on your toes!

Have you ever been caught in a lie with your kids, no matter how big or small?