The best bedtime story......NOT to tell

Bedtime stories have been a ritual since the beginning of time. But, for the newest of storytellers there are some paths that should not be taken when spinning your own creation. Stories that contain witches, damsels and princes are always cool and sure to grab the attention of the little listeners. On the other hand, stories of mothers eating their young is a path that should be less traveled….better yet, just don’t go there at all.

I don’t think my mother-in-law was made aware of the unspoken rule. For years she has been telling her grandchildren the story of a mother bird that ate her young because the baby bird was caught lying to its mother. Now, granted the moral of the story is all good – DON’T TELL A LIE. But to tell a three year old that she faces the danger of mom gobbling her up if she should ever succumb to such an offense is literally a nightmare waiting to happen. And that is exactly what happened after my daughter experienced her first bedtime story from her dear granny.

So, if there are any future storytellers out there, heed this little warning unless of course you want to spend the rest of the night trying to convince your overwrought little one that you do not intend to eat her.