Mother Uses Dollar-Store Apple to Encourage Children to Admit Mistakes

Lauran Newman, 40, told Newsweek that a single incident with her ink-covered toddler prompted a lasting change in how she handled honesty with her children. The child denied spilling the ink even though the evidence was visible. Newman said she realized the toddler was afraid to admit the mistake.

She selected a green glass apple from a bookshelf in her homeschool room and wrote a message on it in permanent marker. The note stated that bringing the apple would signal a need for help and that she would respond without anger.

Newman said her three children have brought the apple to her hundreds of times when they needed to disclose difficult information. She chose a green apple because it requires more care to become sweet, a detail she linked to the effort involved in honest conversations.

Child development experts told Newsweek that symbolic signal tools can reduce anxiety during difficult disclosures by clarifying expectations for both parent and child.

Experts said children often lie because they fear punishment or disappointing adults. They described lying as a coping strategy rather than a fixed character trait. One expert noted that treating disclosure and deception with the same anger can encourage concealment.

Another recommended responding first with appreciation for honesty before addressing consequences. Newman said the first time a child used the apple felt like a connecting moment and that she continues to view the practice as an indicator of her children's developing sense of accountability.