Read and translate

I Lie to my four-year-oLd child, and not just about Father Christmas and the tooth fairy. I started when he was about two years oLd, and now I can't heLp myseLf. If he wants to watch teLevision, and I think he's aLready watched enough for one day, I teLL him that he'LL get square eyes. I teLL him that, unLess he eats his carrots, he'lL have to wear gLasses, and that if he eats his crusts, he'LL have LoveLy curLy hair.

Most parents teLL their chiLdren Lies, and they're usually the same Lies that their parents toLd them. But is there anything wrong with it?

Yes, say a group of parents who feeL that unLess you're 100% truthfuL with your children, you can't expect the same in return. They think that it's better to try to make a child understand the reaL reasons why it's bad for him or her to watch another hour of teLevision or eat too many sweets than to take the easy route and teLL a Lie.

No, say busy parents who think it's ridiculous to expLain the detrimentaL effects of too much teLevision or the Lack of nutritious vaLue of a sweet to a four-year-oLd.

It depends, say psychoLogists. White Lies that protect a chiLd's innocence or stimulate their imagination are good for them.

PsychoLogists beLieve that many of these white lies may actuaLLy benefit children by stimuLating their brains, heLping them deveLop Language skills and making them more creative. The story of the tooth fairy, for exampLe, aims to make the worLd a more magicaL pLace for children, and to heLp them through a stage in their Life. Father Christmas comes into the same category: he's part of the magic of Christmas, and parents enjoy the fun and excitement he brings to their chiLdren.

Other white Lies originate from the need to encourage children to eat properly. If a child thinks that carrots wiLL improve their eyesight, they're more LikeLyto eat up their vegetabLes. Crusts may not have anything to do with the curls in their hair, but if the story heLps to get a child to finish their Lunch, then the white Lie is worth teLLing.

Some myths were created to improve chiLdren's behaviour. They warn them to stop pulling stupid faces or stop telling Lies. Others are designed to avoid unpLeasant or awkward truths, such as where babies come from and why great grandma doesn't come to Lunch any more.

So shouLd parents feeL guiLty for not being 100% truthfuL with their children? In my opinion, no, because most white Lies are fun or educational. But make sure you know the difference between a serious Lie and a white Lie - you don't want your nose to grow in front of your children!

According to the article what are the potential benefits of telling white lies? Match a verb from box A with a noun from box B and write sentences to explain the benefits.

Unit 10_Inside Out