Teaching the Virtues: Honesty Do As I Say... Not As I Do? By
Mary Dixon Lebeau Average User Rating: The difficulty many
parents have in teaching honesty is that we aren’t always
transparent or forthright ourselves. “Learning is caught, not
taught, and a parent who tells little white lies in front of
their children while telling them to be honest about everything
is in essence teaching them to lie indirectly,” says Suzy
Martyn, a parenting consultant and author of Enjoy the Ride:
Tools, Tips and Inspiration for the Most Common Parenting
Challenges. “Teaching honesty by example is very effective,”
agrees Freedson, adding that “do as I do” is always a better
motto than “do as I say, not as I do.” Unfortunately, that’s
easier said than done. As Freedson points out, teaching by
example means that the parent conducts her own personal and
business affairs in an honest and ethical manner. “By doing so,
you will be demonstrating the self-respect that accompanies
ethical behavior,” she says. You will also be setting an