Gandhi Jayanti 2018: How to raise an honest child

On the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we give you tips on how to raise an honest individual who imbibes traits of this great leader.

Debjani Arora | Updated: October 2, 2018 11:21 am

The best way to teach your child honesty is to be honest. © Shutterstock

October 2^nd is Gandhi Jayanti, birth anniversary of our great leader Mahatma Gandhi, a man who is synonymous to truthfulness, a trait many value but find it hard to inculcate or develop. But as a parent your duty is to help your child grow up as an honest individual, here are few things that you can try out.

What you can do:

Lead by example: The best way to teach honesty is to be honest. So when a difficult situation like an illness, death or divorce comes up be straightforward and truthful about it, especially to your toddler or preschooler. Saying that a deceased relative has just gone to the moon will make the child anxious and confused about death, distrustful of parent’s explanations and make him think that telling the truth isn’t really all that important. Better to tackle the subject sensitively – and honestly.
Praise truthfulness: When your child tells the truth about anything no matter how trivial it is and even if you knew about it earlier, reward the little one with praise. If the little one was caught lying before praising the right kind of behaviour will increase confidence and reinstall faith in honesty. So do this often.
Tell your child lying doesn’t work in an assertive manner: Children, do lie, just like adults. They do it because they don’t know its consequences and want to get away with responsibilities of their own wrongdoings. But this is the time you have to be patient, voice your opinion in an assertive tone so your child realises that lying isn’t something they can get away with. But to do this, don’t start spanking your child.
Don’t call your child a liar: Name calling scars one too deep. If your child has started to lie to you don’t start calling your child a liar. It will only make the little one defensive and over time he/she might also start to internalise it. Instead, through your actions and words tell her you didn’t like the behaviour but you still love your child and will give her a chance to improve. This will work better than spanking, name calling or avoiding her as a punishment.
Look for the trigger that leads to negative behaviour in your child: There could be certain psychological reasons that lead to such behaviours like cheating, lying or bullying which are clearly not traits of an honest kid in the making. So talk to your child often, give your little one your time. This will help you know what triggers these behaviours and you can work on the root cause to avert such negative behaviours.

Published: October 2, 2018 8:44 am | Updated:October 2, 2018 11:21 am

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