Fun with the Monster Manual and a 3 year old

[Beale Knight]

While on my vacation I brought my two year old son with me on a visit to my parents for several days. On one of those days my sister needed them to babysit her two younger children, 1 and 3 years old, overnight. My three year old niece had the latest bedtime but is naturally loud. After my parents' usual tricks to keep her in a quiet voice had played out I pulled out my Monster Manual. My niece had been talking, loudly, about some sort of pretend river adventure she had had, and so I showed her the picture of the tojanida to ask if she had seen any of those (she had, she assured me, and they almost got the cat).

She was at once fascinated by the Monster Manual, and for most of the next hour sat very quietly on my lap as we went through book almost page by page. She pointed to just about every picture and asked "what's that?" and I would tell her and answer what ever other questions she thought of. A three year old girl comes up with some interesting questions, and I pulled no punches in some of the answers. My intent was to suggest that some of these creatures come after naughty and disobedient children to eat, but nothing fazed her the slightest bit (probably her being the younger sibling of two considerably older boys had something to do with that).

This was best illustrated by her reaction to the kobold picture:
me: That's a kobold, they're sort of like lizard people that live underground.
her: Oh – (points to the big spear the kobold's holding) what's that?
me: It's his spear.
her: What's that for?
me: So he can kill things and eat them.
her: Okay.

Not a blink, not a shiver, not the least bit concerned. Just curious about the next picture and why the adults were all laughing.

So on the one hand my plan didn't work, she has no fear of any monster coming to eat her if she doesn't do as told, but on the other hand she was very quiet and attentive until bedtime, and awoke the next morning having suffered no nightmares.

 

[glass]

So, Fiend Folio next time?


glass.

 

[Dark Dragon]

Or MM2? ELH? BoVD???

Anyway, aren't tojanidas marine creatures?

 

[Incenjucar]

Heh, kids love the monster books. My little sister's been in to my monster books since she was old enough not to rip them apart or drool on them.

They're also great for artists in the family who want some new ideas but don't actually play the game -- I gave my 3.0 MM to my cousin, for example.

 

[I'm A Banana]

At least a good 1/4th of the reason I got into D&D.

Monsters is sweet, yos.

 

[Evilhalfling]

My Nephew (3yrs) loves the book as well. I thought he was the only one
When I saw him in June it was his favorite bedtime reading. I ended up reading the 3.0 book to him which consisted of him turning the pages and asking me what each picture was and how you beat it. Or me asking him the same questions.
His favorites -
Purple worms - Farley (one of his dogs) sucks it up like spaghetti
(Silly noises added)
Skuum - Cinder (another one of his dogs) poops on it and then it while it is complaining Farley eats it
Grey Wender - you put it in with the flock of sheep, and it thinks its a sheep.
Chuuuul - best eaten with butter and a fork.
He had the same experience with changing monsters under the bed from the unknown (scary) to the known (funny). My sister said it fixed nightmares and reluctance to going to bed problems. Well those based on fear; it had no effect on the tired and cranky, over stimulation, or general contrariness problems with bedtime.
His dad gave him the 3.0 book - It really is the best use of an old book, and this option should be added to the poll.

 

[Aeolius]

Children routinely endure episodes of "The Wiggles" and "Barney". Nothing in the MM will faze them after that.

 

[alsih2o]

ah, I was hoping for a story of your giant child. (BK's kid is getting offers to be a linebacker for an NFL team, he is 2!)

 

[demonpunk]

re

The first D&D book I ever bought was a 1st ed Monster Manual, when I was about 9 years old. It took me a few more years to get some real books, but I had fun reading that book and looking at the illustrations.

 

[Patlin]

My daughter likes the monster manual, too. She's especially fond of Dragons. One of her first ~100 words was "owlbear" based on a miniature I was painting at the time.