You Can't Handle the Truth

Handling the truth is a hard thing to do. Kids easily learn the importance of honesty and the consequences of not telling the truth. It sure seems simple enough. Things are black or white – truth or lie. At some point they may learn the fine art of stretching the truth – falling down in despair in order to avoid bedtime or to implore a parental change of heart. But during this early stage, incoming information is taken at face value – trusted as truth. It hasn’t yet occurred to them that the world might have something more in store.

Growing kids with character requires more. When their character is just beginning to emerge, kids find themselves surrounded by powerful cultural messages about what it takes to grow up, be cool or to belong. Unfortunately 99% of what they hear from their external world is marketing pure and simple – character lessons for profit. If we don’t intervene, our kids can hear those messages as the truth.

What if we invested as much energy and support into teaching our kids discernment as we do in those early character lessons about truth and lies? What if we helped them learn to question the source of information and to understand how people can sometimes tell half a story in order to get the results they want? And, most importantly, what if we helped them learn to question themselves. “Why is it so important to me to spread a rumor? Why is it so important I have the latest sneakers?” You can almost hear their character forming.

Readers, I'm curious to know when you think discernment should be taught? When should kids learn to questions integrity or motives?