Little Lies

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 

Ephesians 4:25

I was recently told that children know how to lie by the age of two.

My first blog post on this blog was titled Passing Blame in which I shared about how Little A blamed her farts on my dad, even when he wasn't in the same city.  

Little A has just recently begun to attempt to really lie to us. It is hard to keep a straight face when she does it because it is so blatantly obvious that she is not being honest.

The other day she had been playing playdough with her friends here at the house. At the beginning of their play dough time I reminded them of the rules. "The play dough has to stay at the table. If you drop some pick it up right away so Little E doesn't get it. Do not eat the play dough. It is for playing and not for eating."

I reminded all of the kids again, not to eat it, when they started pretending to eat up their yummy food and "ice capps" (I still think its hilarious that Little A and her 3 and 4 year old friends love to make ice capps out of play dough. They each make some at least once every time we play play dough.).

We cleaned up the dough together and her little friends went home. Then I put Little E down for a nap and she asked to cuddle.  

I sat down on the couch and she climbed up on my lap.  She kissed me and I felt this weird scratchy stuff on my chin.

I finally examined her face and noticed that from her lips to her chin was covered in dried, slobbery play dough residue.

"Did you eat some play dough?"

"No."

"Did you lick the play dough?"

"Nope, I didn't," she says with a shake of her head. 

"Are you lying to mommy?"

"No. I'm not."

"Honey, you need to tell me the truth or you will be in trouble. Did you lick it?"

"No."

"Okay then now you will need a time out because mommy can tell by the stuff on your face that you did lick it."

"Yes! I did. I licked it." 

I was not upset about the play dough, really, its how she learns,  we have likely all eaten it at least once.  But she did face some discipline because of lying to me. 

My mom used to always say to me, "Be sure your sins will find you out." (Numbers 32:23) She always knew when we were lying, we never knew how she could tell, but she knew. (I am starting to figure it out now though) 

Truth is a hard concept for young kids, but they do know when they are being dishonest. She already knows that she doesn't want to get into trouble so she should lie to get out of it.  

We are all sinful. We all lie. She is a perfect example of how we are all filled with a sinful nature. People always say of children, "he/she's a good kid."  But honestly, they are not.  

We are not good. None of us are.  We are sinners and will always sin.  

There are six things that the Lord hates, 
seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans, 
feet that make haste to run to evil, 
a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.
Proverbs 6:16-19


Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Colossians 3:9