Discussion Post: Parents

Personally, I am conflicted with how honest parents should be with their children because of my own personal childhood. It was instilled in me at a very young age that honesty is always the best policy but I do think that there are some occasions where small lies are good for children. For example, whether or not to tell kids about Santa has become a controversial topic for parents because they say they don’t want to lie. But in my opinion, I think that is a “lie” that is one that is rooted in a special, magical place. I also believe that parents should not reveal too many “adult issues” (divorce, financial strain, etc) until the child is mentally capable of comprehending the issue at hand. However, one thing that I think parents should be totally transparent about with their children is mental health. Far too often, parents teach their kids unhealthy ways to communicate their feelings and over time feel that those feelings are not valid. It’s a beautiful world to teach your children about and parents should try to show their kids that every day but it is not all sunshine and rainbows and if parents are able to show their children that in a healthy matter, I believe it will help their transition to the real world be a lot smoother.