p. 14 | Teaching Truthfulness by Mrs. B. P. Foote

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jan 2, 1913

Teaching Truthfulness

By Mrs. B. P. Foote

MRS. B. P. FOOTE

MANY parents do not realize the great responsibility that rests upon them in teaching truthfulness. Very small children have a strong sense of justice, and it does not take them long to learn who can be trusted to tell the truth, and who can not.

The mother of a very bright little girl about two and one-half years of age was visiting at the home of her sister. In passing through the kitchen, the mother took a taste of some dessert that was being prepared for dinner, and, on noticing her little girl coming in, she quickly took a piece of cracker, planning to deceive the little one. The child asked, "Mama, what are you eating?" The mother replied, "I am eating a piece of cracker." The little girl, looking rather disgustedly at her, walked into the next room and said to her aunt, "My mama's a liar. She told me she was just eating a piece of cracker, and she was eating some cake." This is only one of many similar deceptions. That same mother punished that dear little girl one day for telling a lie, while she herself was constantly setting the example.

Some parents say, "O, just tell them anything to keep them quiet! They don't know the difference." But the little ones generally know more than they are given credit for, and a few such mistakes on the part of the parents may do irreparable harm to the plastic minds.

It is very important that no promises nor threats be made which can not be, or are not likely to be, carried out. Children (some of them, at least) are very venturesome, and continue a disobedient course just for the purpose of finding out whether or not the parents will do what they said they would.

A woman and her little four-year-old grandson were sitting near a lumber-yard, waiting for a car. As the little boy was very bright and ambitious, he was not so quiet as his grandmother thought he should be, and she finally said, "Now, see here, if you don't behave, a big black man will come out of that lumber-yard and take you away with him." The little boy was evidently used to such tales, for he paid little attention to it until a few minutes later, when he saw a man coming out of the lumber-yard. Then he said, unconcernedly, "Is that the man you meant, grandmother? Here he comes now." He watched the man until he was out of sight, and then went on playing as usual.

Our little girl, though she is not quite three years old, usually knows whether or not persons who are speaking with her are telling the truth. For instance, we have noticed that when people tell her, in fun, things which are not true, she does not answer them. Later, when we ask her why she did not answer them, she tells us that it was because what they said was not true.

Some mothers say, when a child asks for some delicacy which they do not want it to have at that time, "It's all gone," when they positively know there is more. One mother, on being asked why she told the child that, replied: "O, I don't want her to have any now, and if I tell her it's all gone, she won't tease for it." Others say it isn't telling an untruth when you do it to keep peace. I am prone to believe there is too much of this kind of peacemaking in the world. What is not the truth is an untruth, no matter when, where, or why it is told; and the Bible speaks very plainly about those who tell untruths. It seems to me that more harm is done by telling lies to innocent, confiding children than by telling them to older persons, who are better able to reason for themselves.

Let us, as parents, sense our responsibilities, and realize more fully what truthfulness means to the tender little souls entrusted to our care and guidance.

Mount Vernon, Ohio.