Telling Children Lying Truth Eslpod American Things Mother's

American children do many things to "prove" (show that something is true) that they are not lying. Children might "swear on their mother's grave," where a "grave" is the place where a dead body is buried under the earth. Swearing on one's mother's grave means that one is telling the truth, because one wouldn't want to disrespect one's mother by lying while standing on or near her grave.

Children also "emphasize" (give importance to) when they are telling the truth by saying, "Cross my heart and hope to die." This is just a phrase that they repeat without really thinking about the meaning, but it really means that they promise that what they're saying is true, and that they even hope they die if what they are saying isn't true.

When a child hears another child say something that is difficult to believe, he or she might ask the other child to "swear" or "double swear" that it's true. The other child then says, "I swear!" or "I double swear!" to show that he or she is telling the real, serious truth.

American children also do things that they think let them lie with "impunity" (without fear of being punished). Many children believe that if they "cross their fingers" (put their middle finger over their index finger) behind their back, then it "cancels out" (makes something else unimportant) the lie that they are saying. Later, if the child is "accused of" (told that one has done something bad) lying, he or she might say, "But I had my fingers crossed, so it doesn't 'count' (matter)."