I’ve been noticing a little “honesty issue” in my house lately. You know the kind…”Did you get your room clean?” “Yes.” Lie. “Did you get your pull-up on under those jammies?” “Yes.” Lie. “Was it you that dropped the jug of milk on the floor and left this flood for me to clean up?” “No.” Lie. “Are you lying?” “No.” Lie.
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I have a real peeve with dishonesty and it’s not gonna fly in my house. I’ll keep pulling all my “annoying mom-tactics” out of the bag until it stops…and “annoying tactic #1”, Family Night…
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“Family Night is a designated night, once a week, where you sit down with your family…have a lesson, an activity, and a treat. It’s a great way to spend time together as a family and teach your children about the MOST important things they don’t learn in school.”
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(Be sure to check our Family Night Category for more ideas!)
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Materials Needed:
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A ball of yarn or string and a yummy dessert!
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Preparation:
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Before Family Night starts, ask every family member to come equipped with a story about when they told the truth or told a lie. Also, ask a family member to help you with an object lesson (see below). Prepare your dessert.
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Discussion Questions:
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What is a lie? (If you have young children, play a little round of “Truth or Lie”…make random statements and have them shout out “truth” or “lie”. This will help them understand the meaning and the difference. Example, “The sky is red.” “It’s raining outside.” “I sleep standing on my head.”)
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Why do people tell lies? (To get out of trouble, to make themselves look better, to be mean, etc.)
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What can happen when we tell lies? (We create bigger problems, we lose trust, we lose friends, etc.)
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Story:
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The Boy Who Cried Wolf
There once was a shepherd boy who tended his flock of sheep just outside of a little village. He was a naughty little boy, and he decided to play a trick on the people in the village. So he ran towards the village, crying out with all his might; “Wolf, wolf! Come and help! A wolf is eating my sheep!”
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The kind villagers left their work and ran to help the shepherd boy. But the boy hid behind a tree and laughed at them because there was no wolf at all.
The kind villagers left their work and ran to help the shepherd boy. But the boy hid behind a tree and laughed at them because there was no wolf at all.
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The next day, the naughty boy tried the same trick and cried in his loudest voice: “Wolf, wolf! Come and help! A wolf is eating my sheep!” And when the villagers came running again, the boy hid and laughed at them. “Ha, ha, those silly villagers will believe me every time!” he said.
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The next day a big, mean wolf really did break into the boy’s flock of sheep and began to eat them. The boy was terrified and ran to tell the villager to come and help. “Wolf, wolf! Come and help!” he screamed. “There IS a wolf in the flock! Help!
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The villagers heard him but they thought it was just another mean trick. No one went to help him. No one paid him any attention at all. They went right on working. And the shepherd boy lost all of his sheep to the wolf.
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Discussion Questions:
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Why didn’t the villagers come help the boy when he REALLY needed it?
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How would this story be different if the boy never told a lie?
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How would this story be different if the boy never told a lie?
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Video: If you have a laptop, or a way to show the fam this Muppet version of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” do it! It’s so cute! Discuss afterward.
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Object Lesson:
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Have the pre-assigned family member come to the middle of the room. Ask them what they were doing before they came to family night, have them tell a big lie (example, “I was just chasing down a grizzly bear I saw in the backyard.”) Wrap the string around them one time. Ask them another question, relating to the first (example, “Why would there be a grizzly bear in our back yard??” “Because it escaped from the circus and smelled Shane’s smelly socks that he left on the trampoline.”) Wrap the string around them again. Continue to ask them a series of questions about their lie until they are wrapped several times.
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Discuss how it’s easier to just tell the truth the FIRST time. Once you tell a lie, you have to tell more lies to cover it up. Ask the string-wrapped family member to try and break through the wrapped strings. Discuss how the more lies you tell, the harder it is to get out of it and to gain trust back from others.
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Family Sharing:
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Have each member share about a time they told the truth or told a lie. Discuss after each.
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Quote:
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“A lie is any communication given to another with the intent to deceive.” ~ Marvin J. Ashton
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Discussion Questions:
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What does that quote mean?
What are other ways people lie? (being vague (withholding important facts), being silent, using flattery to influence, etc.)
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Discuss:
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The easiest way to always tell the truth is to decide AHEAD OF TIME that you are going to be an honest person. You have to understand that sometimes you might get in trouble or feel embarrassed but you will be more proud to know that you can always be trusted. You won’t have to worry about covering up lies and telling more of them. It’s just one more way that we experience FREEDOM. An honest person is a happier person.
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“Can everyone decide right now that they are going to be an honest person?”
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Treats:
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You can either make a hand-out related to honesty with a treat…maybe…
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A box of Whoppers candy – “Eat Whoppers, Don’t Tell Them!
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Fudge – “Don’t Fudge the Truth!”
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OR make any yummy dessert: lemon cupcakes, whoopie pies, sugar cookies, or Death by Special K…to suggest a few…
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Object Lesson:
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Have the pre-assigned family member come to the middle of the room. Ask them what they were doing before they came to family night, have them tell a big lie (example, “I was just chasing down a grizzly bear I saw in the backyard.”) Wrap the string around them one time. Ask them another question, relating to the first (example, “Why would there be a grizzly bear in our back yard??” “Because it escaped from the circus and smelled Shane’s smelly socks that he left on the trampoline.”) Wrap the string around them again. Continue to ask them a series of questions about their lie until they are wrapped several times.
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Discuss how it’s easier to just tell the truth the FIRST time. Once you tell a lie, you have to tell more lies to cover it up. Ask the string-wrapped family member to try and break through the wrapped strings. Discuss how the more lies you tell, the harder it is to get out of it and to gain trust back from others.
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Family Sharing:
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Have each member share about a time they told the truth or told a lie. Discuss after each.
.
Quote:
.
“A lie is any communication given to another with the intent to deceive.” ~ Marvin J. Ashton
.
Discussion Questions:
.
What does that quote mean?
What are other ways people lie? (being vague (withholding important facts), being silent, using flattery to influence, etc.)
.
Discuss:
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The easiest way to always tell the truth is to decide AHEAD OF TIME that you are going to be an honest person. You have to understand that sometimes you might get in trouble or feel embarrassed but you will be more proud to know that you can always be trusted. You won’t have to worry about covering up lies and telling more of them. It’s just one more way that we experience FREEDOM. An honest person is a happier person.
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“Can everyone decide right now that they are going to be an honest person?”
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Treats:
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You can either make a hand-out related to honesty with a treat…maybe…
.
A box of Whoppers candy – “Eat Whoppers, Don’t Tell Them!
.
Fudge – “Don’t Fudge the Truth!”
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OR make any yummy dessert: lemon cupcakes, whoopie pies, sugar cookies, or Death by Special K…to suggest a few…
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Have a fun night! Feel free to suggest any of your ideas for teaching “honesty.”
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If you like this post, you may also like: Family Night on Teaching Kids Not to Gossip, Family Night of Interviewing Grandparents, and Family Night on Choosing Happiness.
Very cute idea Mariel! Thanks!
I love this! I’ll have to do this one for my turn in a couple weeks. Thanks for all the good ideas!
Love this idea, especially the string object lesson.
Great post!
Good points all around. Truly appdrciatee.
This is great… I’ll definately use this!
So stinking timely! We had a family night on lying last week, and all that did was teach my three year old what lying was. It hasn’t stopped her! We need to teach a better lesson, so thank you so much. Perfect timing!
More muppets please – can’t all FHE lessons include some muppets?
We did this tonight and it was great! Thanks!
Thanks for the great ideas I’m going to be using this a few times I think.