Peyton's First Lie(s)

I was going through a bunch of posts that I wrote and never published.  This is from October and it is about Peyton telling a fib.

It was about peanut butter.

I was doing homework on the computer and Peyton came in and sat on my lap. Both of us were facing the computer but before she looked at the computer I caught a glimpse of her mouth...which had peanut butter all over it.

I asked, "Peyton, what is on your mouth." Quickly looking away from me she wiped her filthy mouth off on her brand new shirt that she had JUST put on.

Me: Peyton, what is on your mouth?
Peyton:....nothing.

Me: Peyton, look at me.
Peyton:(Puts her hand over her mouth and turns her head toward me)

Me: Peyton, you wiped your mouth off on your shirt so you wouldn't get in trouble!

Peyton: No I not (hand still over her mouth)

Me:(Points to peanut butter smudge on Peyton's shirt) Then what is that?Peyton:......ketchup?

Me: Peyton, did you get into the peanut butter?

Peyton: (Hand still over mouth) No. I get in the ketchup. On accident.

She wouldn't have gotten into trouble if she had told the truth. I just would have laughed at her. But she came up with this preschool version of an elaborate lie!

We had a big talk about telling the truth and choosing the right.  I was still entertained by the whole thing so it wasn't a big lecture, or anything.  A lesson did need to be learned, though.  She had to go to her room until she could tell the truth. A few minutes later she came out. 

Peyton: I'm ready to tell the truth.

Me: Good.  Come sit on my lap.

Peyton: (Climbs on my lap and nervously looks me in the eye) My dad made me eat ketchup. Not peanut butter.

Me: Did you eat the peanut butter, Peyton?

Peyton: No way, Jose. It is bad.

Her breath smelled strongly of peanut butter and I found a jar of peanut butter in her room WITH a dirty spoon. When confronted with the evidence, she still denied it!  I invited her to stay in her room until she wanted to tell the whole story.

She went back to her room. She emerged several minutes later with a very serious look on her face and said, "Mom, I tell the truth now. Juju got peanut butter. I said NO! But she still eated it so I HAD to!"

Not sure what that meant. I knew the part about Loralie was a total lie but she did manage to kind of say that she ate it. I decided to take what I could get.

Probably not stellar parenting, but we have not had a problem since.