Story telling is an art, and every parent is blessed with this art. Story time creates a special bond between you and your child.
Three magical words once upon a time… have the super power to transfer you to another reality. We all don’t just remember, infact miss the days when our grandmother would tell us stories and we would be curdled up near her listening in awe to every word she speaks.
Inspiring tales can swerve a child towards values that can become principles for life. It very important what stories you tell your child and how you narrate them. Stories are not just bedtime entertainment that can help impart great morals to children, telling stories forms a strong bond between parents and children, that is cherished for a life time.
Stories play a major role in teaching children emotions as well as they help in cognitive development of the child.
Your child will always remember the story of “Hare and the Tortoise,” but may forget the 1st T.V show he watched, remember telling story is better than giving an extra hour on computer or T.V.
There are ample of stories available if you just look around you can pick up anything and weave a story around it. For Example take up the autobiography of Dr Abdul Kalam and tell your child about him/her in a story form.
Here are few tips on how to narrate the stories.
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Stories should be short (depending on the age of the child you can manipulate the length of the story e.g, big stories like Arabian nights, Mahabharata, Ramayana can be read in parts or opt for short stories, from Panchatantra and Jataka tales for child around the age till 4 or 5), Aesop’s Fables are animal stories and kids will love to listen to these stories about talking monkeys and weeping birds. The witty Akbar and Birbal tales are very exciting, dramatic and can make your child laugh at the smart morals.
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Telling stories at bed time is the most special time. Nothing can replace the feeling when your child is lying cuddled in your arms hearing to every word you have to say, telling story at bed time can be a good habit and also a signal that it is a time to go to sleep.
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Gift your child a story book instead of a toy. Write a message in every book you buy and date it, it will turn into a treasure for them once they grow up.
- If you are reading a fairy tale to your child then use your voice to emote feelings for different characters, you can read or speak in a squeaky voice for squirrel and soft voice for a princess it will really amaze your child. Also highlight the positive aspects and downplay the negativities. For Example: avoid praising Cinderella’s beauty but praise her hard working nature and compassion for others.
- You can also try changing the end of the fairy tales and ask your child to come up with quirky or funny or different ends. e.g. A child might say that the prince took Snow white to a hospital and doctor removed the poison so she woke up.
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To create further more interest in your story, make your child the actor of the story, send him / her across magical lands, highlight his / her personality, her/ his likes and dislikes and how at the end hero overcomes the evil.
Listening to stories also help children in enhancing their memory,
a story narrated well is remembered well, imagine if our teacher’s would have taught every lesson like a story then we wouldn’t have struggled to mug up our history topics.
Don’t wait anymore just pick up a book and tell your child an amazing story that he / she will cherish forever.
Positive Parenting 