My six-year-old son had made the oatmeal before I got up, a sweet smile on his soft lips saying, “I made it just for you, Mommy.” It was bitter but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so I swallowed every bite and scraped the bowl. It wasn’t until later that I found the empty box of rat poison in the trash and my stomach began to burn up my esophagus.

Okay, I cheated with a three sentence story, so sue me (but please don’t, I’m poor).

My husband will NEVER eat any foods prepared by a child. Not that he thinks they’re trying to poison them but just for the fact that children are little petri dishes always carrying some flu, cold, or stomach bug. After working with kids myself, I cannot blame him! It’s not their fault, but no, we will politely accept your “I made them myself” brownies and offer them to someone who doesn’t care (some don’t, brave souls).

Have you looked into those stories of children who kill? It’s usually other children or peers but every now and then there is a rare story of a small child who admits to wanting to unalive their parents, siblings, even the family pets! Murderous children are flat out scary.

Well, tis the season!

A. Rose