The author ofthis storyexperienced this when their young nephew spread lies about them to get out of trouble.
However,the mothersided with her child and made excuses to condone his behavior.
The upsetting situation made the author no longer wantto babysittheir sisters children, which worsened things.
Wanting clarity, they are now asking the AITA subreddit if they did anything wrong.
According to clinical psychologistDr.
Matthew Rouse, some kids may do it to deflect the focus that an adult puts on them.
In this storys case, its the potential trouble he was in for disobeying an adult.
In a conversation with theChild Mind Institute, Dr. Theyll wonder, what happens if I lie about this situation?
What will it do for me?
What does it get me out of?
What does it get me?
Rouse introduced three levels of lying, depending on the severity.
At this age, the child also begins to realize the intention of telling a lie.
As developmental psychology educatorDr.
Victoria Talwarexplains, this is when they are first introduced to deception.
Rouse and Dr. Talwar agree that parents should make their children realize the consequences of lying.
In the case of a Level 3 lie, Dr.
Rouse urges that the consequences be short-lived, not overblown.
The goal is not to discourage the child from doing better next time.
Rouse explains, parents must strike the hard balance between having an open dialogue and setting the appropriate limits.
For Dr. Talwar, it is necessary to drive the point home.
She believes that activelyteaching a childabout honesty is to stress its importance.
Parents should also start at a young age by reading stories to make the concept more understandable.
Just thinking that theyll pick it up by osmosis is not the way to go, she said.
What parents shouldnt do is condone dishonesty, as the child can carry it through adulthood.
The authors apprehensions are understandable.
They had good reason to refuse to babysit, especially since their nephew almost got them in trouble.
What do you think, readers?
Was the author out of line for refusing to babysit in the future?
Check out the results:
