Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire…
My son learned a very important lesson last night. At the age of four, he tried to avoid getting into trouble by lying. 
Not a good idea.
While I was in the laundry room and he was supposed to be finishing dinner, he sneaked into his dad’s Father’s Day stash of cookies. I came back and saw him sitting on the couch.
Now, the funny thing about four-year-olds is, they seem to believe that there is NO WAY Mom will find out about it. He had so much chocolate on his mouth and cheeks, he looked like he had a beard and mustache. He had a stunned expression on his face and both hands were hidden behind his back.
Me: What do you have in your hands?
Him: Nothing.
Me: Were you eating your dad’s cookies?
Him: No!
I force him to step away from the couch and found a hidden half-eaten cookie on the couch. I’m sure he believed the magic fairies put it there. 
Riiiigght…
Needless to say, there was a certain somebody who learned that lying is a BAD IDEA when it comes to Mom. 
It’s one of those choose your battles scenarios, and this one I am definitely fighting. 
If I don’t teach him to always tell the truth, then when he’s a teenager, I’ll have much bigger problems on my hands. There was a great deal of sobbing, gnashing of teeth, and an early bed time. But later when we talked, I think he got the message. It probably won’t be the last time he lies. Maybe he’ll think twice, though. What about you? Any experiences with kids lying?
The agent scenario is getting interesting. I don’t really have much more on it, except that one of the lead agents in that agency is reading it now. She e-mailed yesterday, wanting a full submission history, etc. Don’t know if anything will come of this or not, but it makes my day interesting.
Today my goal is to nail down some more Ireland details. Hope I can get some good prices! 
Michelle posted in Writing @ 6:38 am | Viewed 2959 times
Steph T. Says:
That the lead agent wants a submissions history sounds like a VERY good sign to me!!! I still have everything crossed for you!!:cheer::cheer::cheer:
And about the kids lying thing? I cut my teeth on the 8th graders I used to teach. It was scary how GOOD at it a lot of them were. I think I could work successfully for the CIA now…
Kelly Says:
It was an exercise in futility trying to lie to my Mom. She’d just stare at you with that evil glare until you caved and threw yourself on her mercy. Better to just fess up from the start. Or blame it on your older sister, as my younger sister was fond of doing…Oddly enough, I never spoke a first word, I jumped right into sentences, so the first words out of my mouth were “I didn’t do it.”
Bonnie Ferguson Says:
That IS getting interesting
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you, Michelle 
Stacy Says:
Fingers crossed with the agent!
I still find it amazing how they lie even when the evidence is right there for them.
Melissa Says:
I’ve had to deal with the lying thing a lot with my stepsons. It would infuriate me to no end how they could blatantly say, “I didn’t do it!” when I had the evidence that they did.
I hope you get some GREAT news from the agent!!!
Emma Sinclair Says:
Good luck with the agent!
I don’t have any kids yet, but really, I don’t know how you parents can keep a straight face when things like that happen - especially when he’s covered in chocolate!
Crystal* Says:
Yay Yay Yay for agent good news! *fingers crossed*
As for lying…oh yes.
Had a wonderful episode where my oldest (12) tried to skim a bendable pencil from a friend’s PTO store. She had the stuff stored at her house.
Okay. First of all. NO ONE had the damn pencils yet. Period. And this heifer just FINDS one. Or so she says. And the price tag was on the floor underneath her chair.
Um…yeah.
And still she denies it. For about three minutes. And finally, I’m like, listen to me. Lying won’t cut it. I don’t believe you. I know better. And you’re butts in a knot. Now. Confess.
And she did.
The kids don’t try very often to pull one over. And I hate when they do. Nip it in the bud. Hard. Fast. Now. You did GREAT!
Better in the long run.
Grins*
mary beth Says:
LOL on the nipping the lying in the bud. Better to learn that lesson at 4 than later.
Fingers crossed on the agent.
April Says:
Ooooo, the agent thing IS getting interesting!
Good luck with the lying. Sounds like you’re doing a good job of handling it up front, so hopefully you’re preempting future issues!
Danica Says:
Cool agent news!
It’s so funny… I keep doing the “if you tell the truth you won’t get punished, but if you lie, you will,” and it’s still not sticking. ERGH.
Nienke Says:
Okay, what is a submission history? You have to tell them all the places you’ve sent it? As in agents or publishers? I’m so new to all this. From the comments it sounds like a very good thing!
Nienke Says:
Oh and as for kids lying, I passed a liar detection test once as a kid. They were showing us how it worked. hee hee They ended up telling me I was doing it wrong, but I wasn’t. Now, I can’t tell a fib without somehow giving away that I am. *sigh*
Olga Says:
Michelle, such a cute kid story! I’m sure he learned his lesson - don’t lie to mommy. I mean, don’t lie, period. And congratulations on the full’s request! You go, girl!
Michelle Says:
Nienke–it’s a list of all the publishers and names of editors you’ve sent it to. That way the agent doesn’t send it there twice.