Liar, liar pants on fire!

We have had a rash of lying from my kids. Joy tells me stories that make no difference to me but she embellishes them, but then tells me "don't ask my teacher" tipping me off on the fib taking place. i call my kids fibber McGee's when the lie to me. It's not like these are even worthwhile fibs, just out and out random lies, i think trying to make her life sound more exciting. It told her the other day in the car lies aren't good and there isn't a really good reason why she's lying, she just needs to tell the truth all the time because who cares.

Then tonight i get an email from Peyton's teacher saying he had a hard afternoon. So i ask him why and eventually i get the truth about why he was having a hard time, Some kids were calling him a liar, so he hit them. then delving into the issue further the truth of the story is, that He made up a story about one of the kids in his class (that the kid was making out with a girl on recess) so in fact it was a lie and they were calling him what he was , and in fact, he was gossiping too! So he learned at a young age that, you don't make up lies about people and tell other people unless you want them to call you a liar. He is going to apologize but the damage is done, Hopefully it blows over and he can go on to have a good last week of school. Then we talked about ruining other peoples opinions of the kid he was lying about and also about his own character. And that honesty and respecting other peoples reputation is something he needs to do. And If he doesn't they will call him a liar and it will ruin his own reputation.

OK and i think, Genetically, I am the one to blame, As a kid I used to feel compelled to embellish also. Now i understand that nobody cares what you tell them , they don't like you more or less if you have more exciting stories or information. And they usually figure out you were lying in the first place, So then they think you are a stupid liar. I have a friend who lies pretty regularly, for no good reason other than she just doesn't want to tell the truth or the whole truth, She lies about random crap that make no difference to the people she tells except if you know the truth you think she is stupid to lie about stuff you don't give a rats A** about! I'm not sure how many people have figured out she doesn't always tell the real truth, but I find it somewhat entertaining that she tells me the truth and then turns around and lies to me forgetting she told me the truth before. but at the same time i can't understand why she just doesn't tell the truth?
Lying is way more effort and you always risk getting caught! hope fully I've nipped the fibbing in the bud. and we won't have anymore Fibber McGee's at our house!