Top Ten Lies I Tell My Kids.

I usually check out the daily AOL news while I'm messing around on facebook in the mornings and I came across this article:

Original Article

I was interested because I agreed with the headline. I do tell my kids not to lie and lying is wrong but I also tell them a fib or two. Mostly to not hurt their feelings. Of course I read the article and I have never EVER used even one of those top ten lies parents supposedly tell their children.

Here's MY top ten list of lies I tell my kids:

1. I believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.
2. You weren't invited to their party because they don't know our address. Or our phone number (aparently).
3. You look great in those jeans!
4. You are the best looking/most beautiful child I've ever seen!
5. Your hair looks so great that way!
6. That is an excellent drawing/painting/sculpture - as an artist I find talent in most creations, but nothing I'd buy myself lol
7. Daddy and I were just wrestling.
8. There's no such thing as monsters.
9. I think your best friend is a very nice person.
10. You can't watch that because it's not appropriate for the younger kids. (mostly true, but we have other televisions)

I don't feel I lie often - most of the time they really do look great in their jeans and their hair is likewise mostly great. Add to that most of their best friends I really do like. A couple of them I feel could do a lot better in the best friend department, but who am I to judge? Unless they are doing something illegal or morally just WRONG (which one did and I had to put my foot down on not hanging out with THAT person anymore) I don't see a problem with letting the kids work out for themselves who's a good friend and who isn't. As for the clothes and hair - if we're not going anywhere important I'm all for them experimenting with their own looks.

The Santa Claus and Tooth Fairy thing I lay solely on my husband. HE'S the one who keeps pushing them on my kids. And because I agreed to let him fill my kid's heads up with these ideas I feel forced to keep up with them myself even though I never once recieved anything from Santa Claus.

So, yes, I do lie to my kids. When they're old enough (and a little less fragile - at least in my stepkids cases) I'll start letting a little more of the truth come out. "Those leather pants with the fringe look good on you, but I wouldn't wear them to school...."

At least I'm honest enough to admit I lie!