Being Too Honest
Being too honest is when we say things that are true but are better not said.
Being honest means that we try to tell the truth and own up to our mistakes. Being too honest is when we tell someone a truth or about a mistake when they really didn't need to know about it.
Knowing when to speak honestly can be very confusing. Here are some reasons when you should always tell the truth:
To stop someone getting hurt
To stop something bad happening
When you have been asked by a trusted adult to speak the truth
Being honest is a generally a good thing but there are times when it is not. Here are some times when it can be better not to speak honestly:
When there is no good reason why you need to upset someone's feelings
When there is no good reason why you need to tell an adult about small mistakes or rule breaking
It is usually best to be honest. But, to be friendly and sociable with people, it can sometimes be better when we are not too honest.
Telling Tales
Telling tales is saying to the teacher or other adult that someone has done something wrong.
In school there are lots of rules. These help keep everyone safe and doing the right things. When someone breaks the rules the teacher may be cross with them.
Sometimes children forget rules, make mistakes and get things wrong. This can be embarrassing for them if the teacher finds out.
It is important to tell a teacher or other adult when there is a serious problem or when someone is doing something dangerous.
If it is not important then it can be OK not to tell the teacher. Teachers are often very busy and sometimes don't want to hear about every mistake or minor rule breaking. Telling tales to the teacher can also make other children unhappy. They may learn not to trust us and this can make it hard to keep friends.
Telling tales is OK if it is really important that the teacher know. If it is not important it is OK not to tell the teacher.
