Most frustrating part of motherhood!

Ok, perhaps on another day, something else would win out... but I can't think of anything else today.

Is anyone else most frustrated by their children's lying? I don't know if it just gets worse or better with age, but I can vouch for age 3... and I just don't know what to do about it. The most frustrating part is that I don't know when to believe him. We have caught Tornado lying a good amount of times... he has a track record. So this morning when he got in trouble for tearing the cover off a magazine (something they both know not to do), he said that Sweet Pea did it. This is a rather feasible thing, as she is the one known for tearing everything she can get to at random... and she was sitting near him. Problem is that I didn't see her do it. I just missed the whole thing. As far as I could tell, she was sitting reading her own book.

This is only an example from today. And in the end it's over now. But the part that is so frustrating to me is that I know it's going to come up again and I never feel like I know what to do or how to handle it. It is very important to me that I not falsely accuse either of my children. I don't want to stir up or start a root of bitterness for being mistrusted "all the time" when they didn't do anything wrong. But I don't want to let my children get away with this sin either. I'm trying to remember to pray for wisdom as each situation comes up. We are trying to teach them (Tornado really as Sweet Pea doesn't get it yet) that lying is worse than whatever they are lying about.

Any wise counsel out there? Anyone figure out how to teach honesty and not lying to your preschoolers and toddlers??? Is this a faze I can expect to pass eventually (like Sweet Pea's blame shifting)?

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Labels: As it happens..., Raising Children

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 3:55 PM