Yogi Bhajan Lecture: Speak Truth to Your Child

In this lecture excerpt, Speak Truth to Your Child, Yogi Bhajan explains the importance of speaking truth to your child and admitting to them when you are wrong. Let them learn from your mistakes. This lecture was given on August 5-6, 1978.

We use our children for security. Then our children use us for security, and life is a mess. Give children their own security: Truth and God. It doesn’t matter if you have lied to yourself, or you have lied in your life, or that your parents lied to you. Just speak the truth for the sake of your children, so that they can understand that there is a truth. That is Sat Nam. Give them the true identity of themselves, and you will have angels on this Earth.

Normally, parents cover their mistakes by lying. They lie to their children openly. We call it naked untruth—that is the worst poison that you could ever choose to inject into your child. It will grow in the child, and it will come back to you. If you are wrong, just say you are wrong: “I didn’t know any better.” Errors are human. Let your child learn from your mistakes. Give your child a chance to live better than you.

Don’t raise pups. Raise humans.

It is your duty to speak the truth to your children, and stand to it. Don’t lie to them, don’t cater to them. Behind the catering, they find your insecurity and weaknesses, which is how they mess you up. When you cater to the child, you are trying to cover up something, and the child has the super-psychic power to see behind it. The moment he uncovers you, he will not respect you. Therefore, it is your duty to be straight with your own born child.

Published in I AM A Woman.

© The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan