Telling the truth is vital to building trusting relationships. Therefore, teaching your child to tell the truth is important for character development. There are many stories on the importance of telling the truth available online or at your local library (See below for suggested titles). You can share these stories at bedtime with your child and discuss the questions below to teach about being trustworthy with our word.
Suggested Fables on Truthfulness
- “The Adventures of Pinocchio” by Carlo Collodi https://www.storiestogrowby.org/story/pinocchio-fairy-tale-story-english-kids/
- “The Shepherd Boy & The Wolf” by Aesop http://read.gov/aesop/043.html
- “The Monkey and The Dolphin” by Aesop http://www.taleswithmorals.com/the-monkey-and-the-dolphin.htm
- “Mercury and The Tradesman” by Aesop https://fairytalez.com/mercury-and-the-tradesman/
Suggested Books on Truthfulness
- “It’s True” by Mercer Meyer
- “The Berenstain Bears and Telling the Truth” by Stan and Jan Berenstain
- “Ruthie and the Not So Teeny Tiny Lie” by Laura Rankin
Suggested Video versions of stories about Truthfulness
- “The Anthill: An Important Story about Truth and Honesty” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8lWQ0cCJmg
- “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlflr5b5VgQ
- “Telling the Truth” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4c8N-mFmKM
Suggested Discussion Questions about Truthfulness:
- What did this story teach us about being truthful?
- What problems were caused by someone telling lies in the story?
- How do you think the characters felt when they lied or were lied to?
- What happened or changed in the story when someone told the truth?
- Why is telling the truth important?
- What is hard about telling the truth sometimes?
- How can we build trust in our family?
- What does it feel like to lie? To tell the truth?
- (Discuss their physical feelings as well as emotional and mental thoughts).
