Miss Marg's

 Mental Health Motivations

Believe me when I say i am being truthful and honest

Being truthful is crucial for primary school students as it fosters trust, strengthens relationships, and develops important life skills like integrity and self-esteem. Honesty helps children build strong connections with their peers and family, learn to take responsibility, and develop a sense of honesty with themselves. 

Here's why honesty is important for primary school students:

• Builds Trust:

  When children are honest, they create a foundation of trust with others. Trust is essential for healthy relationships and allows students to feel safe and secure. 

   

• Strengthens Relationships:

  Honesty fosters open communication and understanding in relationships, allowing for deeper connections and empathy. 

   

• Develops Integrity:

  Being truthful helps children develop a sense of personal integrity, which is important for their moral compass and sense of self-worth. 

   

• Promotes Open Communication:

  When children feel comfortable being honest, they are more likely to express themselves openly and share important information, which can help resolve conflicts and build stronger relationships. 

   

• Teaches Responsibility:

  Admitting mistakes and taking responsibility for them teaches children to own their actions and develop a sense of accountability, which is important for personal and social development. 

   

• Enhances Self-Esteem:

  When children are honest and true to themselves, they build confidence and a positive sense of self-worth. 

   

• Sets the Stage for Lifelong Learning:

  Honesty and integrity are essential for success in all areas of life, from academics to careers and personal relationships.

How do we teach kids to be honest?

The way to teach kids to be honest is to show them and model the value of being honest. The super short version of why kids should value honesty is:

1. In general, kids like to make their parents happy and proud of them. If they know you value honesty, they’ll want to be honest to make you happy and proud. On the other hand, if they think their parent will be happier if they just tell them what they want to hear, then the parent is more likely to hear falsehoods, lies of omission, and other deceits that could be hiding serious issues.

2. In the long-term, lies feel bad and honesty feels good. Telling lies brings along lots of negative feelings, like worry, guilt, and fear. And psychologists point out that kids feel “bad” when they know they’ve done something consdered morally wrong, like lying. On the other hand, telling the truth may be difficult in the moment, but it has lasting benefits to a child’s sense of self-respect, pride, and their sense that they are a “good” person.

3. Having a reputation for being honest helps build trust in relationships. Whether it’s teachers, parents, or friends, people trust us more when they know they can count on us to be truthful. Trust opens doors to more freedom, more opportunity to explore life, and more connection with people who care about us and that’s something most kids want.