We tell our kids that honesty is always the best policy. Nevertheless, as parents, we don't always practice what we preach. We tell white lies to protect our kids, avoid uncomfortable topics, or, frankly, get ourselves out of annoying predicaments — like when we pretend the ice cream store is unexpectedly, unexplainably 'closed."
While this kind of white lie may come in handy, Alyson Schafer, a parenting educator, told The Washington Post that it's a damaging type of duplicity and "a lazy answer." Fair enough, but all parents have likely used at least some form of a white lie — and not just to stop a tantrum in its tracks.
If you tell your little ones that Santa comes to visit on Christmas or that the Easter Bunny hides colorful eggs on Easter Sunday, you are technically telling white lies, too, as pointed out by The Washington Post. Call it deceit, we say it's keeping the magic of childhood alive. Vicki Hoefle, a parent educator and author, agrees. "The Easter Bunny and Santa are just about maintaining tradition in a culture that celebrates them," she told WaPo. "It's upholding traditions that are important to you."
