What Does a Monster Look Like?

I've unfortunately had to tell my younger children that monsters are real. No, nothing *specific* happened to our family, but in the course of general conversation I've had to tell them at different times that there are "bad people" out there and to stay with their mother when they are out. The Emperor has a nasty habit of running off and hugging strangers and telling them he loves them. At six, this has *GOT* to stop. It just seems to get worse as he gets older. I'm trying to stop him from hugging anyone unless he's at home or at church. But strangers usually see the little kid hugging them and go, "Awww.... SURE, I'll hug you!"

Good of them, but not helpful to me in my predicament. So I've been *trying* to tell the boys that not everyone is a friend... At my OB office, they have a large picture of one of these "bad people" who is suspected of trying to get a baby by any means necessary. So we're on the lookout especially whenever we go there. I tell the boys there are not only people that want to cut Mom open and steal the baby, but there are also people out there that want to steal THEM and cut them up into 100 pieces. (The truth about molestation is just even worse and I can't quite bring myself to even talk with them about it.)

But... why??? Elf asks. He is genuinely perplexed that someone would want to do this. I explain that lots of people don't know Jesus very well, and so this is what happens.

Last night, I showed them some of these "monsters" on the news, turning the volume off when necessary to prevent too-much-information syndrome. They look just like anybody else, don't they?

Elf gulped and nodded in awe.

Emperor says, NO! I can tell!! The bad people are all wearing orange!

Sigh...