If your kids asked

if you were happy, and you truly weren't. Would you smile and lie, tell them you were OR would you tell them the truth, knowing you'd want them to tell you the truth if and whenever you asked?

My son will ask me how my day is or something, and i am honest with him.

I'd tell the truth.

Kids need to know it's okay to be sad or upset sometimes and know life isn't always peaches and cream. And I think they know if you're lying about that.

I tell my kids all the time when they ask if I am happy or sad or whats wrong, I dont ever lie to them lol I tell them the truth.

Quoting The Doctor:" I'd tell the truth. Kids need to know it's okay to be sad or upset sometimes and know life isn't always peaches and cream. And I think they know if you're lying about that."

Nice response. I hope I would always be honest with my child so my child would always be honest with me.

It was like that for me growing up. My mother knows every bad thing all four of her children have ever done. Still to this day we tell our mom everything.

I would probably say "I don't feel well right now." I'm not the type to pretend to be in a good mood or happy when I'm not.

I'm always honest. I have ba depression and I cry a lot and I
Always honest with dd why I'm crying. When I was preg I told her a lot I was just scared that Scarlytt would die if that's how I felt, or if Sam and I have a fight well tell her were upset and trying to make it better. She's 5 so she understands more. But I don't want her to think life is all rainbows and sunshine. I want her to learn empathy and that it's ok to be sad and have emotions and how to handle those emotions and that it's ok to talk about them. I grew up where my mom always hid her feelings and never talked to anyone. It was a very stressful and uptight living situation. She let me dad walk all over her and would get mad and scream and throw things without ever telling anyone why. It made me sad for her and I still am sad for her. She will vent a little more to me now that I'm an adult. But I wish she would have helped me understand her feelings when I was younger. Instead I was just always afraid to go talk to her about anything.

Honesty is great but obviously there are limits. I might say something like "I was a bit sad but I am feeling pretty happy playing with you." I am not going to like confide in my children, I think thats too much for them to handle

Kids aren't stupid, they can see if you are unhappy, they can sense it. Better to be honest but guarded honesty. Admit you are unhappy but tell them in a way they will understand, make it for their level of understanding.

i usually tell him he makes me happy, and im happy when im with him.

Quoting That-Girl:" Honesty is great but obviously there are limits. I might say something like "I was a bit sad but I am ... [snip!] ... pretty happy playing with you." I am not going to like confide in my children, I think thats too much for them to handle"

I agree, there are limits to what you should share... but I think saying everything is fine when you're crying or something is just.... not right.

But I agree that it shouldn't be everything. Even just saying something as simple as "Mommy is just a little sad today about X, " is completely sufficient.

It depends on why I'm unhappy, or whatever. If the problem is their dad, and we are fighting, no i'm not going to say "I'm unhappy bcause your daddy and I are having an argument". I might just say I was feeling a little down, but they made me feel better by taking the time to ask. Or something like that.

I tell my kids when they make me unhappy and why they have made me unhappy or sad mad etc.....Communication is a big thing in my house.

And they tell me when I have made them unhappy or angry etc......

Quoting LittleBear's mama:" Kids aren't stupid, they can see if you are unhappy, they can sense it. Better to be honest but guarded ... [snip!] ... guarded honesty. Admit you are unhappy but tell them in a way they will understand, make it for their level of understanding."

I agree, being honest is a good thing, although sometimes we do need to be guarded in just how honest we are. Kids can misunderstand some of the simplest things. For example, my 4 year old went to his grandma's house to stay for the weekend and he was putting off leaving saying he wanted to come back and play some of his video games before staying the night with her. She explained that he could come to spend the night but she wouldn't be bringing him back home to play video games that night, he completely misunderstood and we found out that sunday that he had willingly agreed to say goodbye to mommy forever and just live with grandma, lol. My heart was a little broken that he had consented to never come home again, but he was extremely happy to see me. He's 4, so his concepts of time are still a bit skewed.