Sometimes - and in certain social situations - lying is okay, but other times, definitely not.
So it can be tricky for many kids (okay, adults too!) to figure out these unspoken rules about when to tell the truth and when it might be okay to tell a little white lie.
It's a very nuanced topic to teach. So giving blanket statements like "it's not okay to lie!" or "always tell the truth!" isn't necessarily the best approach to take because it will miss out on those nuances. Just like one little free printable story might not be enough. You might need a couple to cover all your bases.
The topic of lying is also not something you can necessarily teach in one session and be done. It's one that evolves, is situation dependent, and may depend on your relationship with another person. Remember, various social situations may mean a wide variety of different rules to learn.
Below you will find a variety of social stories about lying, covering topics such as telling the truth, rumors, gossiping, and more. As a result, you'll find that these stories are good for a wide range of ages, from little kids to teens and young adults.
Free Social Stories About Lying & Telling the Truth for Kids
Have you been looking for a social story that talks about lying, honesty, rumors, gossip, or similar? Then look no further than these free printable social stories about lying. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.
I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best lying social story for you and your child. Or you can simply use ideas from different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).
Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them with your child.
1. Two Social Stories About Telling the Truth from Happy Learners - Here you will find two text only social stories. One is titled "I Can Tell the Truth" and the other is called "Telling the Truth." No images are included with these stories.
2. Lying Social Stories from Happy Learners - Here are four text only social stories with no images, like the ones above. The titles for these ones include "If I Lie," "Lying," "Lying 2," and "White Lies." You'll probably be able to write your own story from scratch using a variety of snippets from each of these stories.
3. Telling Tales Social Stories from Happy Learners - There are two stories here. One is called "Being Too Honest" and one is called "Telling Tales." Again, these are text only and include no images, but they cover other aspects of lying and truth telling that are important to touch on.
4. Fake News Social Stories from Happy Learners - These two stories talk about fake news and spreading fake news. In other words, they touch on topics of spreading rumors and gossip and how sometimes people spread news that is untrue.
5. Social Story About Lying from Self Contained K-6 Teacher on TPT - There's not much to go off of here in order to describe it since the listing shows no image or preview of what's inside this story. It does have decent ratings so maybe it's worth checking out.
Video Social Story About Gossiping
Here is a video social story that talks about one form of lying: gossiping. You can use this video in teletherapy sessions, social skills groups, and/or classroom settings. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.
Like the printable stories above, some of the wording in this video might not be great. However, I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for discussing and teaching about lying and telling the truth.
Can't Find Exactly What You Need? Try One of these Social Stories About Lying & Gossip
Didn't find quite the right social story above? Don't feel like writing one from scratch? Well, sometimes the social stories you can find for free just aren't the best fit.
But perhaps this social story about lying from my shop will be just what you need.
Grab your copy of the lying social story
Or maybe you're looking to focus more on rumors and gossip with your older child or student. This social story about rumors and gossip from my shop might be perfect for your needs.
Grab your copy of the rumors & gossip social story
Hopefully you're able to find the right story for your needs. Whether that's one of the paid stories from my shop or one of the free printable or videos social stories about lying listed above.
