Question for the Lizard parents around here: why do some people feel that it’s justified to lie to their kids? I don’t mean about small things like telling them that drinking coffee will make them short, or that TV will strain their eyes, or if you swallow gum it will be in your stomach for seven years. I’m talking about bigger things.

A friend of mine posted a photo from a horrific accident where a guy’s Corvette ended up plowing into and getting crushed under a trailer. The photo had a caption that claimed he died because he’d been texting and driving. I pointed out that Snopes debunks the caption since it’s unrelated to the accident. I also said that there are enough real stories about the dangers of texting and driving that using a blatant lie that can be debunked so easily is counter-productive. She and several other parents said it was okay to keep the lie going because sometimes being gruesome is the only way to make a point.

I don’t get that at all. Doesn’t using a blatant lie like that make it harder for your kids to trust anything you tell them? Since I don’t have kids the whole thing is out of my depth.