The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-06-08
CHILDREN AND THE HABIT OF
LYING.

A teacher of long experience among
children of all classes declares that
the habit of lying is common to all
and presents the most difficult prob
lem among the many that teachers try
to solve. II have no hesitation in
saying that children learn to lie before
they are of school age," she says,
"They learn it at home" says The
Sacred Heart Review.
Learning to lie at home! 1t is not
a pretty thought, and parents will pro-
test Indignantly against the charge.
But stop a moment, thoughtfully and
honestly. Can you not recall incidents
in your home that bear out the teach
er's assertion?
Wait until l get the dishes done
and I'll take you to walk" says the
mother to the importuning fodder;
but when the dishes are done she fails
to keep her promise. There's no
cake, Willie" says another mother;
papa ate it all" But the sharp eyes
peering over the edge of the box are
not deceived. Him didn't eat it,"
walls the infant, me see it." In the
end Willie has the cake, and with it
the conviction that mamma can tell
lies. How much better to refuse him
because cake was not good for him
just then. There might be scene, but
the child would come out of it with
respect for his mother. AS it is, he
pays her back in her own coin when
he is old enough to go errands, and
by the time he enters school he lies
with ease and dexterity. 1t is then
the mother begins to feel troubled
about the fault, though still blind to
the source.
81 am sorry that Willie deceived
you," she tells his teacher. Il can't
imagine where he learned to lie as he
does-unless he picked it up from the
other boys. His father is the most
truthful of men, and I am sure no one
ever heard me tell lie. Call Willie,
she commands his sister, ''but don't
tell him that his teacher is here. Say
it's grandma-that will fetch him."
The teacher goes away more disheart-
ened than ever, for she realizes to the
full how hopeless is the task of max
ing Willie truthful.
ANY dogs?" asks the city official
at the door, and the lady of the house
with her little son clinging to her
answers, mo" did you forget
'Buster?'" queries the boy, only to be
sharply reproved for having such long
ears But nothing can prevent the
child from puzzling over in his little
brain why mother said there was no
dog when there was dog. If mother
realized the enduring harm they do to
children by petty tricks and mean
little lies, or when they stoop to de-
liberate falsehood in their presence,
they would speedily reform their ways.
Fathers, too, are largely to blame,
either for the bad example they set by
their own disregard for truth or by
their neglect to train their children to
be absolutely and fearlessly truthful.
The years of dawning intelligence
are, perhaps, the most important of
all, because the impressions received
are indelible. And yet so many
parents, looking upon the little child
as a mere toy, fail to lay the founda-
tons of character deep and strong.
They realize their mistake when it is
too late to remedy it. The habit is
fixed.
Apart from the intrinsic value of
truth as noble feature of character
feature that commands respect and
admiration everywhere-truthh has also
a commercial value. A reputation for
being truthful is valuable credential
to the boy or girl beginning life as a
bread winner. If an employer can de-
pend on a boys yes" or mo-" he
will put up with his defects and blum
ders and gladly undertake his train
ing, but no man with respect for his
business wants a liar associated with
it, even as errand boy.
The Review may be accused of harp
ing too insistently upon the need of
the homely virtues, but we cannot be
too insistent in striving to impress
parents-and mothers in particular
with the weight of their responsibility
in intoxicating honesty and honor and
truth in their little charges. The sue
cess of the thousands of graduates who
enter business life every year depends
in a greater degree on the teaching
they received in their homes than on
the mere acquisition of knowledge in
the schools.
THE MAKING OF THE RIGHT GIRL.