The Tattle Monkey

We started having some serious problems in our house with tattling.  I've been hearing a play-by-play of every minute detail of hundreds of trivial issues going on between Zany Janie and Wacky Zacky throughout the day.  I've listened to how Wacky Zacky was "thinking" of growling at Zany Janie-yes, you read correctly-THINKING-to Zany Janie playing with one of Wacky Zacky's toys that he had not touched in several months.  Don't get me wrong, not all the stories were trivial, there were some valid ones such as Zany Janie is climbing up the bookcase or Silly Jilly has a piece of dog food in her hand and is about to eat it.  It was getting to the point that every sentence out of their mouth was geared towards tattling and was told in an extra whiny voice. 

After realizing it was next to impossible to have a visit from The Supernanny, because besides having a pair of tattle tails my kids are next to perfect and don't have any other issues which would warrant a visit from her, I did the next best thing and invited the Tattle Monkey into our lives: 

Since moving in the tattling has decreased dramatically!  We had a long conversation with the kids about tattling and how they need to learn how to work things out for themselves.  We told them they can come to us to tattle if it's going to keep someone out of danger, but otherwise they need to work it out themselves.  If they find they still feel the urge to tattle they can go tell the Tattle Monkey.  This tattle monkey is amazing!  She can hear 50 times in a row about how Wacky Zacky is looking at Zany Janie and still seem to keep a smile on her face.  The kids are happy to have her so they can tell her every feeling of being slighted and Mama is happy not to be overwhelmed with tattling!  It's a Win-Win situation!

Now excuse me while I go see the tattle monkey.  I just remembered something I forgot to tell her...