GOAL SLOGAN: THE TRUTH LETS ME LIVE IN PEACE
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
The questions below are designed to help you think about how you can help from home with the skills development programme your child is taking part in.
- Are there reasons to tell lies? When a child sees an adult who recognises a mistake, what feelings might this cause? What about when the adult doesn’t?
- Do we know how to explain that silence as a reply is better than a dishonest excuse? How can we be delicate with the reputation of others? How do we stop short a child when he criticises, denigrates or casts doubt on the reputation of another person?
- What reasons do we give our children to tell the truth at all times? How do we value the fact when they acknowledge being responsible for a situation?
HOW CAN WE HELP?
The suggestions below show when personal parental involvement is necessary. The aim of the subjects proposed is to demonstrate where you might be able to support your child and help him to work on developing this month’s skill.
- If you suspect that your child has not been honest with you, at this age it is a good idea to make him see that lying is worse than what he sought to hide.
We must always celebrate and appreciate the courage it takes to be honest and express the positive feelings we feel when a child decides to be honest. Instead of punishment, try to ensure that the bad deed is redressed or that the child experiences the consequences of his actions. - Help him to grow in terms of being responsible, showing him to recognise the errors made, so that he can then ask forgiveness from God and from others.
- If you let a lie go uncorrected, your child will see that he has fooled you, and will lie again and again. The truth always needs to come out to ensure the correct development of a child’s moral conscience.
