Sometimes counting sheep doesn't quite do it. Your angelic infants soon morph in to something a little more impish. The screaming, demands and stomping of feet - so much so, your sitting room light shade faces the peril of diving amongst that fine china you got for your wedding from the in-laws. Your freshly bathed, cherubic bambinos are now possessed by none other than Gollum; crouching behind the toy box with the utmost defiance of getting in to bed and closing those tired eyes. Toddler bedtime battles are the norm, apparently. What better way to conquer these cyclical outburst than with a bedtime story? But when asked to bribe them with a bedtime story do you draw a blank? The only thing that comes to mind is the Breaking Bad omnibus you watched last night?

Here's some help for the parents out there who need some inspiration for the bedtime story tale.

- Centre it around your child's interests - If they're obsessed with fairies or an action hero make this the base for the story. Don't worry if it's your 26th story about the princess fairy of Hogwartstopia or the 34th story of the not so angry and role model Hulk, you're kid will love those stories no matter what.

- Keep it short and sweet - Although you're using this precious time to broaden your little ones imagination, remember you're also there to get them to sleep. The smaller children don't have a long attention span anyway so avoid a huge amount of detail or lots of plot twists - Don't go all J.R.R.Tolkien on your 4 year old.

- What were your favourites? - Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel or a Disney classic? Although these stories are old to you, they're new to your little cherub. Maybe the updated version of Hansel & Gretel involved a trail of the new Minti Winter collection...Who knows.

- Give the story a moral - Perhaps work something in to your story to avoid having to put them on the naughty step for later.

- Go Greek - You've probably had Three Little Pig re-runs for the last few weeks, how about something even you're not familiar with; Keep things exciting for both child and parent. What about the story of Narcissus, who was so full of himself he fell in love with his own reflection. This may take a little bit of homework on your part but perhaps you'll stay awake to hear the end too?

- Art Inspiration - That painting of a goldfish/unicorn stuck to the fridge. have you ever noticed it moves? Bring their artwork to life in the story, this will get your little ones excited and could be a way of getting them to bed at night. Here at Rockies, the mice under our stairs move when boys & girls are good and listen to their mums, so this is trialled and tested!

- Make them a star! - What better way to get them involved than using them as a character. As casting director, you could make your little one the hero to their own bedtime story! Broaden their imagination, let them know that being a valiant Knight or an independent female lead suits them completely. Believe us, you're bedtimes will run a lot smoother!

We hope this helps, Good luck parents!