Telling the truth

Ages 6 to 8 Read together, then try alone · about 20 minutes

Read together

Telling the truth builds trust. It can be hard when we are afraid.

Being honest and kind together takes practice.

Do it

1. Talk about a time you broke something. What did you feel? What did you do?
2. Act out two endings: hiding it and telling the truth. How does each feel?
3. Practise a kind way to tell a hard truth.
4. Thank each other for honesty, and forgive.

Talk about it

• What makes honesty hard?
• How can we be kind and truthful?

For the grown-up

Children lie out of fear more than malice. Respond with calm and thanks for honesty, not heavy punishment, so truth feels safe. The Bible speaks of speaking truth in love (Ephesians 4:15); that is a labelled paraphrase to check.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• Talwar, V., and Lee, K., “Development of Lying to Conceal a Transgression: Children's Control of Expressive Behaviour during Verbal Deception”, International Journal of Behavioral Development 26 (2002): 436 to 444
• The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 4:15 (any standard translation)

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.