It's not always easy for parents to teach kids the things you want them to know.  Sometimes, when you just come out and say it, they don't listen.  One way to get them to listen is to make up stories that teach the lesson.  For example, telling kids to eat their vegetables so they will grow up big and strong may work with some kids but not with others, but if you tell an interesting story that says the same thing, they are more likely to lesson and get the messages.  So tell them a fantasy tale about a kid who wouldn't eat his vegetables, so he shriveled up and turned to sand and was now part of a sand dune in the desert.  This is not lying, it's telling the truth in a way that makes it interesting to the kids.  
    This also works the other way around.  When something is bothering a child, it is often difficult to get them to open up and tell you about it.  But if you ask them to tell you a story - insist if they say they don't want to tell a story - the story they tell you will usually reveal what is bothering them.