Honesty means telling the truth even if it means admitting a mistake. When we do

not tell the truth, we hurt others but we also hurt ourselves. If we tell lies, people will

stop believing us — even though we might be telling the truth next time — so we must always try to tell the truth. Remember, we will get in more trouble if we tell lies than if we admit a mistake.

Playing pretend is when we make-believe that something is real even though everyone knows it is not. Playing pretend can be fun, and it is okay to do. We make-believe when we make our dolls “talk”, or when we pretend our bed is a boat. When we do these things, it is okay because we all know that we are playing a game. What are some of your favorite things to make-believe?

Lying is when someone expects us to tell the truth but we do not. Lying is different from playing pretend because the other person expects us to be honest. Telling lies is NOT okay. When a teacher or parent asks a question, we should always tell the truth, even if it means admitting a mistake. Lying only gets us into more trouble.

For more information about Learning for Life contact: Diane Hickman (305) 364-0020 ext. 228 Ginny Anderson (305) 364-0020 ext. 221

Now that we understand what honesty is, let’s all practice being honest every day in every way. Talk to your parents or teacher about how you can be a more honest person.

Honesty also means that we do not steal or cheat. Stealing means taking things that do not belong to us without asking.

Cheating means we are not playing by the rules. It doesn’t feel good when people lie to us, take our things, or play unfairly. If we want others to be

honest with us, we must be honest too. Fill in your name and Color the Honesty Pledge below.

I ________________________________________ promise to

always try my hardest to tell the truth at all times and be

the most honest person I can be. I will not lie, cheat, or

steal. If I make a mistake, I will admit it and try to make

it better.

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