In which a little lie becomes a big problem.
I am a member of the Netflix Stream team. I have been provided a complimentary subscription to NetFlix to share information about upcoming programming. All opinions are my own.
When I Was a kid I lied to my mom about some money I took.
My sister and I were selling magazines for some kind of school fundraiser and somehow the magazine money got mixed up my own money. A dollar spent here, a quarter spent there and the next thing I know that money was spent! I really had intentions to repay the money buts days turned into weeks and finally I had to confess.
Confessing was not good for the soul; it was terrible! My mom’s reaction was devastating; for months she would not trust me with anything remotely financial. Her interactions with me were met with disappointment and grief as she struggled with how her child was a thief. Since then I have been so more responsible about money. It was hard to climb out from under the cloud of suspicion and I never wanted to feel that way again.
I often wondered if part of the reason I was so closed mouth with my mom was because I didn’t know that I could talk to her. We would talk about things but at a certain point mom became an enemy of sorts and our relationship just disintegrated until communication was a series of grunts or terse words. It’s gotten better over the years but I have vowed not to let my relationship with my teen get to a point where she feels like she cannot talk with me about issues that come up.
My teen has started fudging the truth as she tests the limits and tries to define what it means to being a teen. There are times when I am so frustrated that I want to yell and scream but I know that the tempory relief of yelling is not worth the long term plan to make her feel like she can talk to me.
When I find that she is avoiding the truth or outright lying, I have begun to take these steps
1. TALK. It seems like a simple idea but sometimes just being in the habit of talking and communicating can mean that we will not get to this point.
2. LET HER BE. It took me the longest time not to be offended when my child would diss me, leave me alone as she holed up in her room for a while. I realize that not every parent has to go through thjis and lucky for you but for me I found that letting my moody teen be was what was needed at times.
3. ALLOW HER TO HAVE HER MOODS. My mom would always liken me to my sister, my twin, who seemed to have done everything before me. Mom would often say that she wasn’t putting up with moodiness, attitudes, etc and I always felt like I didn’t have space to work through teen spirit.
4. SET LIMITS. The above is well and good but I have to let my kid know that while I ready to support her, I am not here for her nonsense. Moms got feelings too!
This month Netflix is premiering Bloodline, a new original series featuring The Rayburns who have some dark family secrets they’re willing to do anything to keep from coming out — lying included. Starring Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) and set in the Florida keys, the series follows a family caught between the ugly truth and the terrible lie that covers it up – a storyline that conjured our friends at Variety to predict that, “.. those who give Bloodline a chance will, pretty quickly, find themselves hooked.”
There are also some titles listed for younger viewers to spark a discussion about telling the truth and little white lies.
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire |
For your little kids: |
![]() |
For your big kids: |
![]() |
And for teens and parents: |
1. Bloodline
2. Revenge 3. The Bling Ring 4. Pretty Little Liars |
![]() |
NEW ON NETFLIX for kids and families |
1. Monster High: Haunted (3/10)
2. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (3/11) 3. Inspector Gadget (3/27) 4. SUPER 4 (4/10) |
Tell me, have you ever told a lie, little, white or humongo? What happened?
Leave a comment or let’s chat on Facebook!
It’s crazy how a little thing like mixing up the money can have bigger consequences than you think! I know I’ve done all sorts of “not terrible” things like that, and they’ve ended up being far worse than if I had just come clean in the beginning. Tough lessons to learn, for sure!
I love Netflix. I watch it all the time
Thanks for sharing! We did netflix awhile ago but stopped because we area always too busy for movies. But now with the kids I feel like it would be better than the amount we pay with our cable company!
I got rid of cable. I stream everything and have an antenna for Broadcast TV.
Oh boy, teens are tricky. Good for you for giving your teen space, boundaries and love!
I never had Netflix before, but it is becoming more & more appealing than cable.
I've always been curious of Netflix. So cool you've got your access.
I don't have Netflix anymore because I don't have much time to watch, but I loved it when I had it 🙂
We love using Netflix and go to it much more than our cable service.
I'm loving that series on Netflix. I have about a bazillion I watch now!
My kids are very young. But I admire your patience and ability to deal properly.
I have heard that Netflix is a very awesome subscription on your TV. You can watch your fave shows at an affordable price. I have never try subscribing it. We do have a cable though.
I love Netflix and the kids love them as well! I am so gonna check those out. Thanks for sharing!
What a great post! Lieing is something that I grew up knowing not to do, but of course we all do it. Now that I am a mother, I hate it when I am lied to. My daughter has done somethings with money as well and I just can not trust her yet. She completely fooled me too by lieing right to my face and I believed her.
Netflix is a lifesaver! We love pretty little liars and together my daughter and I will have marathons. Great post.
Navigating with teens is a tricky ordeal, isn’t it? I try to remember the things I liked and didn’t like about being a teen. I want my kids to know they can always say what they need to say to me and not fear how I’ll treat them. Even in the toughest times, we have to be here for them.
I did this once with Girl Scout cookies. My mom was disappointed but she knew I had learned my lesson.
I haven’t come across Bloodline in my Netflix surfing, but it sounds interesting. I saw the Bling Ring with my sweetie….I didn’t know that was a Lifetime movie.