Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

Lately we've been educating Lily on what it means to lie. As in, not tell the truth. As in, not tell what really happened. Different than pretending. Like, telling something that's not right.

Truth in itself requires more words to explain than one would think. The truth, lately, is most often stretched when getting into trouble seems to be a possibility.

A few days ago, Lily informed one of her grandparents (while we were present)...

L: "Sometimes I don't tell the truth."
G: "Oh?"
L: "Yeah. Like when the pea vine is on the ground and I say it just got there. But I really ripped it off. Then I don't tell the truth."

So after that, we determined that she's getting it. Getting it is good. Now there's no excuse! Fastforward a few hours to later that evening. Lily was engaged in a very deep conversation with a perfect stranger (in the lobby at a wedding) when I came upon the scene.

PS: "She was just telling me about the pony she got for her birthday."
Me: "[eyebrows raised -high] Oh really?!"
PS: "She didn't really get a pony for her birthday?"
Me: "Um, no. She didn't. Lately we've been talking about telling the truth.......blah blah blah."
PS: "Oh....I see."

I couldn't believe it. Not only did my daughter stretch the truth, she stretched it waaaay far with the.most.classic.kid.lie.ever. Where did this come from? Where did she even hear about how cool it would be to get a pony for your birthday? We don't even know anyone with a pony! This was more than just not wanting to get in trouble. This was like we're-possibly-raising-a-compulsive-liar-child. I had to nip this in the bud. But I didn't really want it to seem like too big a deal. Maybe the right approach for her 3-year-old mind was to go at it from a pretending stance. That's it. Maybe she was pretending with the perfect stranger and the stranger just didn't know it. That had to be it!

Me: "Lily, do you remember the other day at the wedding when you told that lady that you got a pony for your birthday but you were just pretending?"

L: "I wasn't pretending mom. I really did get a pony for my birthday."

Me: "Wh...oh, you mean the pony your write on? This pony?"

L: "Yeah, that one!"

Sigh.