The dictionary defines friend as someone whose company you enjoy. For my friend to decide to lie to her parents about her whereabout last night, she must have her reason. Here's what I'll do when I know she is lying:
Image is mine
First I'll just listen to her talk, it's not my place to tell her parents she's lying. Telling on her will ruin our friendship and she won't trust me, instead of telling on her, I will talk to her privately.
I will let her know that I understand why she lied to her parents, she was either scared or needed a little bit of freedom. I will let her know that I'm on her side so that she will feel free to talk to me about whatever she needs.
I will make her understand that lying is harmful and it can cause a lot of damage, her parents might trust her less in the future if she lies to her.
I will let her know that no one is perfect, I have also lied and I faced the consequences later. I tell her a story about a lie I told and I'm pretty sure she won't forget it.
I will also remind her that her parents wants what is best for her, they make rules and she should follow them. They do not make the rules to keep her from having fun, they make it to keep her safe.
I will advise her to sit down with her parents and talk to them if need be. She should explain to them why she needs more freedom and they might come to agreement on how to go about it. Communication with your parents is actually better than sneaking around and acting like a thief in your own home.
I will make her understand that I will be there with her if she is scared to talk to her parents. I can help her practice what to say incase she is scared of how her parents will react.
I will remind her that it's better to tell the truth now than to be caught telling a lie later, it will help to build trust. I will let her know that I can't force her to say the truth, I will just be there no matter what she decides.
I will make her understand that I just want to help her build a better relationship with her parents and honesty is a very big part of it.
I will make her understand that everyone makes mistakes and what matters is how we learn and grow from there.
All I just want is to a supportive and non-judgemental friend. I won't be the type of friend who tells on her friend and expect everything to be okay later. I want to be the friend who will help her make positive choices and grow from her experiences.
This is my response to the prompt dropped by Hive naija community, feel free to check the community.