Dr. B: Did you know that all of life’s lessons are taught in bedtime stories?
Parent: How so?
Dr. B: Pick something you want your kids to learn.
Parent: “Do it nice or do it twice”.
Dr. B: Good. I like the ones that rhyme.
Parent: Quit stalling.
Dr. B: So you want your kids to do a job carefully, the first time, so they don’t have to go back and fix it.
Parent: You are still stalling.
Dr. B: I’ve got one. The story of the Three Little Pigs.
Parent: Let’s hear it.
Dr. B: So, the first pig, Pig 1, quickly builds his house out of straw, because the materials are right there at the job site. He finishes quickly and has time left over to build a patio and BBQ pit.
Parent: BBQ pit?
Dr. B: Yeah. It gives fathers a bedtime story they can relate to.
Parent: So, your point is that Pig 1 didn’t take the time to do it right?
Dr. B: Yeah. He built a simple, laid back, beach bungalow in Big Bad Wolf country.
Parent: Now you are going to tell me that Pig 2 made the same mistake?
Dr. B: Yep. He built the best house he could in the time he was given.
Parent: Out of twigs as I recall?
Dr. B: Yeah. But all organic.
Parent: Most twigs are.
Dr. B: His house was finished ahead of schedule and under budget. And he soon had orders for five more.
Parent: Until …
Dr. B: Yeah. The Big Bad Wolf Foreclosure.
Parent: So your Bedtime stories teach everything from economics to architecture?
Dr. B: The point is that Pig 2 was a model builder and businessman. He knew what people wanted and what they could afford.
Parent: But he lacked foresight?
Dr. B: Exactly.
Parent: So Pig 3?
Dr. B: Well, as you know, he built his house of brick.
Parent: And lived happily ever after?
Dr. B: Well, not exactly. He was way over budget, deeply in debt, and way behind schedule.
Parent: So what happened?
Dr. B: Well, Pig 1 and Pig 2 collected enough insurance money that they were able to bail him out.
Parent: So how did your Bedtime Story teach the ‘Do It Nice’ principle?
Dr. B: Well, if Pig 1,2, & 3 had worked together from the beginning, they could have built a nice brick house.
Parent: And been safe from BBW?
Dr. B: Turns out the dude was a vegetarian.
Parent: I’ll bet your kids ask their mother to reread the story to them the right way when you aren’t around.
Dr. B: That hurts.
