Be Honest. Do You Lie To Your Kids?

Science has your answer.

One of my favorite Middle School memories was learning to play the recorder in music class. I'm no Ian Anderson, but I got pretty good at Three Blind Mice.

Dad played recorder. Both my boys, Justin and Ethan played recorder. Ethan played and played his recorder at home. He made a joyful noise with it, but there was no tune or melody to his playing. He pretty much blew as hard and as loud as he could.

Until one day something tragic and mysterious happened to his and Justin's recorders. They disappeared off the face of the earth.

It was like the Tooth Fairy, in reverse. No change was left, but the instruments disappeared. As if they had been broken and had been disposed of. They're actually in a time capsule set to open on the tenth birthday of the first grandchild. When my sons' sons enter middle school, I will present them with their father's recorder to play to their heart's content.

Science has found that we do tell white lies to our kids. The number one whopper is that the annoying toy they love most broke or got lost. Technically, that may be true. I wish I had broken both recorders over my knee. I just knew one day I'd have to come clean and give them back. I just haven't decided if I'm going to have them bronzed and mounted or not.