My 4-Year-Old Learned to Lie… So I Wrote a Book About It

Lately, my four-year-old has gotten really good at something. And it’s not tying his shoes. It’s not cleaning up his toys.

It’s lying. Not in some evil, mastermind way. In the most four-year-old way possible.

One recent example of his new “skill” was the other day when I found his Newton’s cradle—what he lovingly calls his “science experiment”—all tangled up like this. Strings twisted, balls crossed… the whole thing completely wrecked.

And when I asked what happened, he looked right at me and said, “Nothing happened to it. It’s fine.”

This used to work… until my four-year-old “fixed it.”

He’ll break something, and somehow it wasn’t him. Or he’ll try to fix it just enough to make it look like maybe nothing happened… then go on with his day like, “Yeah, we’re good.” No mention of it. No confession. Just hoping it disappears.

And honestly… I get it. Because the real moment isn’t when the thing breaks—it’s what comes right after. That split second where he has to decide: Do I tell the truth, or do I try to get away with it?

I’ve been seeing that moment happen more and more lately. And if I’m being real, it’s made me think just as much about me as it has about him.

Because when he does tell the truth… how do I react? Do I stay calm? Or do I make it worse and accidentally teach him that telling the truth just gets him in trouble faster?

That’s when it hit me—I probably needed to write this book as much as he needed to hear it.

So yeah… I ended up writing Dear Koobi, Do NOT Touch That Sign!

Why This Phase Matters More Than It Seems

And I know… this is normal. Kids test boundaries. They experiment. They try to see what they can get away with. That’s part of growing up.

But this stage feels like an important one. Because it’s not just about the mistake—it’s about what comes next. Do they learn to own it… or learn that it’s easier to hide it? And if I’m being honest, a lot of that comes down to how I react when the truth finally shows up.

What Do You Actually Do in That Moment?

That’s the part I’ve been wrestling with. Because in that moment—when something’s broken and I know exactly what happened—it’s easy to go straight into “What did you do?” mode.

But I’ve started realizing that moment might matter more than the mistake itself. If the goal is to raise a kid who tells the truth… then that moment has to feel safe enough for them to actually do it.

That’s Why I Wrote This Story

That’s really what Dear Koobi, Do NOT Touch That Sign! is about.

Koobi and his best friend Milo make one bad decision—something they were definitely told not to do—and it goes about as well as you’d expect.

One small decision… one big lesson.

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Something gets broken. There’s a moment of panic. And then comes that same question: Do we try to hide it… or do we tell the truth?

It’s the exact situation I’ve been seeing play out at home—just with a little more jungle chaos mixed in.

And the goal wasn’t to write a “lesson book.” It was to create a story where kids can see that moment for themselves, feel it, and start to understand why telling the truth matters—without being told.

Why This Works for Kids

• They see the mistake happen in a safe, funny way
• They feel the “uh-oh” moment without being in trouble themselves
• They start to understand why telling the truth matters—without being told

That’s the goal. Not to lecture… but to help it click.

Because when kids see it, feel it, and laugh at it… that’s when it actually sticks.

If this sounds familiar… you’re not alone. Most of us are figuring this out as we go, one “uh-oh” moment at a time.

That’s one of the reasons I started Roarwood in the first place. I wanted to create funny, useful stories for kids—but I also wanted to build something for parents who are living through the same messy, hilarious, occasionally exhausting moments.

I’d genuinely love to get to know the families reading these stories. If your kid has ever broken something, blamed the dog, “fixed” it with tape, or acted like the disaster in the living room was always there… I want to hear about it.

I share Roarwood updates, parenting stories, free activities, and new book announcements with my email list—and I’d love for you to be part of it.

Join the Roarwood crew below and tell me your best “uh-oh” parenting story.