Social Story About Lying and Telling the Truth (Free & Printable)

Most children try lying at some point, usually to avoid getting in trouble. Some children, including many autistic kids, also struggle with the difference between a lie, a guess, a joke and pretend play, so lessons about honesty need to be very concrete.

This social story explains what a lie is, why trust matters, and, most importantly, what to do after a mistake. Children lie less when telling the truth feels safe.

Want this story with your child’s name? Use the free personalizer below or open the full social story generator.

I Tell the Truth

My name is Lily. Sometimes I make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes.
1
One day I spilled my milk on the floor.
2
I felt worried. I thought about saying, “I didn’t do it.”
3
Saying something that is not true is called a lie.
4
When people tell lies, others stop believing them. That makes it hard to be trusted.
5
Telling the truth means saying what really happened: “I spilled the milk.”
6
After I tell the truth, I can help fix the mistake, like wiping up the spill.
7
Grown-ups feel happy when I tell the truth, even about a mistake.
8
I am an honest person. Telling the truth helps people trust me.
9

Why this social story helps

The story deliberately separates the mistake from the lie. The child sees that the mistake (spilled milk) is small and fixable, while the lie damages trust. That only works if adults respond calmly to the truth. If telling the truth leads to punishment, children learn to lie better.

How to use this social story

Print the story (two pages per sheet works well) or show it on a tablet.
Read it together once a day during a calm time, for at least a few days before the situation.
Read it again just before the situation happens, and keep a copy nearby as a reminder.
Swap the name and details for your child, or add real photos, so it matches their world.

What makes this a good social story

This story follows the social story approach described by Carol Gray. It is written from the child’s point of view, uses short and literal sentences, and spends most of its words describing the situation and how people feel. Only a few sentences gently suggest what to do, and they use “I can” instead of “I must”. The story names a difficult feeling as normal and ends on an encouraging note, so the child links the situation with calm and confidence rather than with being told off.

Tips for parents and teachers

Thank the child every time they tell the truth about a mistake, before dealing with the mistake.
Avoid asking questions you already know the answer to (“Did you eat the cookie?”); state what you saw instead.
Explain the difference between pretend, jokes and lies with examples.
Read classic honesty stories together, like “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”.
Model honesty yourself, including admitting your own small mistakes.

Questions to talk about after reading

What is a lie?
Why is it important that people can trust you?
What can you say after you make a mistake?
How can you help fix a mistake?

Personalize this story

Add your child’s name and age and we will rewrite the story just for them. It’s free.