Time Required
This practice takes between 10-15 minutes.
How to Do It
This practice helps you turn story time into a chance to explore meaningful lessons with your children.
Find a book in which the protagonist is rewarded in some way for their honesty. A simple thank-you counts as a reward. Some ideas for stories include The Empty Pot and Too Many Tamales.
Read the story with your children. Afterward, discuss with them what happened in the story. For instance, you might review the consequences of the protagonist’s behavior and what might have happened if they had taken a different action. You might finish by reminding them of the value of being honest.
But make sure not to stop there! The next time you find yourself hoping that your children will respond in an honest way, take a moment to remind them of the story you read and encourage them to be like the protagonist.
Why You Should Try It
While engaging in dishonest behavior like lying and cheating is a natural part of children’s development, more persistent dishonesty can have detrimental effects on their relationships and overall life trajectories. Research finds that children who lie more frequently tend to show more aggression, conduct disorders, and delinquency.
As parents, we can help our children live longer, happier, and healthier lives by encouraging them to develop the character strengths of honesty and integrity. This short practice is one simple way to start encouraging greater honesty.
Why It Works
According to social learning theory, children learn by watching others. Recent studies find that this learning can also happen through observing storybook characters. However, kids often find it hard to use lessons from stories in real life given that their cognitive skills are not fully developed. This means they might have difficulty understanding that a story character represents a real person or recognizing the kinds of situations in which the lesson of the story might apply.
Despite such difficulties, it’s often easier for children to grasp a moral from a story than from complicated real-life situations. Stories offer a safe environment where kids can think about themes without worrying about the consequences to themselves.
This practice can help our children make the connections they need to better understand and apply the moral of a story in their own lives.
Evidence That It Works
Ding, X. P., Cheng, J. K. T., Cheng, Q., & Heyman, G. D. (2024). An assessment of when moral stories promote children’s honesty. Applied Developmental Science, 28(3), 292-301. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2023.2195182
Predominantly Chinese children between the ages of three and six listened to one of three versions of the fable about George Washington and the cherry tree, in which young George chops down his father’s tree and, when confronted, admits the truth. Afterward, the children had an opportunity to cheat on a game. When asked if they had cheated, children who had listened to the version of the story where Washington was rewarded for his honesty and who were encouraged to be like him were the most truthful.
Sources
Xia Pan Ding, Ph.D., National University of Singapore
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The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.
The Greater Good Toolkit
Made in collaboration with Holstee, this tookit includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life.