Story: TRUTH

Rosa was very angry with her son Luisito. The school had called her because he had stolen two reams of paper from the coordinator’s secretary. In the days before, there had been a series of thefts among the children in his class, and no one had taken responsibility. Luisito would occasionally show up at school with money and invite his classmates for snacks. When his mother asked him about it, he simply denied it. Upset by the situation, he argued that they had no right to blame him without evidence. The coordinator showed them a video where Luisito was caught stealing the paper. He immediately admitted to it but claimed it was the first time. The teacher tried to calm him down and make him understand that if he continued denying, he would never learn. She also reminded him that he was twelve years old but that when he turned fourteen, he would have to face legal consequences. The teacher added, «You’ve experienced the tale of the boy who cried wolf. No matter how much you say it wasn’t you, we no longer believe you.» Luisito received conditional enrollment, and his mother became vigilant about money at home. She took away his video games and cellphone for fifteen days. After this warning in Luisito’s class, no classmate lost their belongings again. One day, someone knocked on Luisito’s door. It was the shopkeeper to whom his mother owed money. Luisito peeked through the curtains, and when his mother asked who it was, he said it was the shopkeeper. She immediately told him to go out and say she wasn’t home, that she was out of town and would return in eight days. Luisito looked at her in surprise and said, «Mom, what’s the difference between what you’re doing and what I do? I’ve definitely learned lying from you. You come to demand or scold me when you have no authority.» Luisito’s mother lowered her head and went to open the door to the shopkeeper, telling him she could pay him in a week. Luisito’s mother apologized to him, acknowledging that he had indeed learned lying from her. From that day on, both of them learned their lesson and never lied again.

**INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT:**

**Do you know what the truth is? Write down your definition.**

**Ask a responsible adult for the definition of truth. Copy it.**

**Have you ever lied? Comment on what happened.**

**When you lie, how do you feel, and what emotions arise in you?**

**What happens when someone lies to you? What behavior do you exhibit towards that person? Briefly describe.**

**When you lie, who do you hurt, and why?**

**What are «white lies» to you? What makes a «white lie» different from other lies? If you don’t know the answer, ask a responsible adult.**

**What would you say to your parents if they scold you for lying, but they also lie?**