Lying Is a Milestone, Not a Mistake

In this episode, we are sharing some of our favorite tools and strategies for building trust, responsibility, and emotional resilience in our kids—without shame or labels. From how Shauna uses her Skylight Calendar to manage chores and rewards, to navigating honesty, sneaky behavior, and those classic “he said, she said” moments, we're getting real about what’s working (and what definitely hasn’t).

We’ll also dig into how lying is actually a developmental milestone (yep, for real), and how to have meaningful, shame-free conversations that build connection and long-term character. If you’ve ever wondered how to help your kids be more honest, while keeping the peace at home, this one’s for you.

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⏱️ Episode Highlights

[2:05] - Why we love the Skylight Calendar for family organization and chore tracking
[6:40] - How our kids earn, spend, and (accidentally) hack their star rewards
[11:55] - Lessons learned from sneaky behavior and “resetting” the system with consequences
[17:10] - Why lying isn’t bad—it’s actually part of healthy brain development
[23:20] - Tools we use to build trust, including our cotton ball trust jars
[30:45] - How to call out behavior without shaming or labeling kids
[38:10] - Finding everyday teachable moments and modeling emotional resilience

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