Everybody lies at some point in their lives. Lies often start at a very young age, just scan the internet to see the many posts of toddlers caught, with marker in hand, standing in front of a wall filled with “art.” Conveniently, there is often a fall guy, such as the family dog (usually a gentle-looking Labrador or Golden Retriever) who the child will point to as the culprit. Unbeknownst to the child, he/she has inadvertently defused a moment of tension into one of laughter. These videos underscore the fact that when caught in a lie, no matter the age, we try to “worm” our way out of any possible consequences for our behavior. “Worming one’s way out” is an art. It requires quickly assessing the situation and finding an escape route, two skills that Eloise proved to be quite adept at during one school to home situation.

.Eloise had done poorly on a test at school and was told by her teacher to have the paper signed by her parents. Probably in her desire to avoid any unpleasantries at home, Eloise “conveniently forgot” to bring the test paper home. When dealing with any unpleasant situation, it’s human nature to put it off for another day in the hopes that the situation will change for the better. We’ve all been there. Haven’t we? However, unbeknownst to Eloise, prior to her arrival home, her teacher had sent an email to Nancy informing her of Eloise’s test results and how it was to be signed and returned to school.

When Eloise arrived home, Nancy asked Eloise about the test. In that moment, I am sure that any delaying tactics that Eloise had in mind were thwarted by her teacher’s email. A quick thinker, Eloise responded that she had forgotten to bring the test home and left it in her desk at school; a feasible explanation. She promised to bring it home on the following day.

The next day, as soon as Eloise returned home, Nancy once again asked to see the test that she was to sign. Again, Eloise drew up her inner resources and told her mother that her desk was such a mess that she couldn’t find the test. Onto Eloise’s ruse, Nancy gave Eloise that look that only mothers can give when they know their child is lying and said, “Be honest, Eloise, you threw it away Didn’t you?’ A quick, resourceful, and creative thinker, Eloise came up with a clever response that she knew was sure to tamper her mother’s anger. With a smile on her face, Eloise looked at her mother and said, “No, mom, I recycled it!”

I have since related the story of The Recycled Test to several of my friends and the reaction was always the same. Everyone gave her an A+ for thinking creatively while under pressure. Unfortunately for Eloise, the test wasn’t on imaginative ways to mollify a lie.

I believe that children suffer inner turmoil from telling lies before consequences to follow. Just look at the faces and body language of young children caught in lies. Their guilty conscience flows through their entire beings. It’s no small wonder why children immediately look for somewhere else to place the blame, In the situation with Eloise, she didn’t look to lay blame. She cleverly shifted the focus from a wrongdoing to getting recognition for creative thinking under pressure. Too bad I didn’t have her talents during my youth.