Storytelling Tips for Parents

I was always intrigued by the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes." It wasn't exactly the story that drew me in, it was the way it was delivered. Basically, in the story Evelyn, an unhappy housewife befriends Ninny, a nursing home resident. Ninny Threadgood played by Jessica Tandy tells Evelyn stories on each visit. The stories are so enthralling, Evelyn keeps coming back for more. In the process of listening to these stories, Evelyn is transformed and in turn, so is Ninny.

What is really interesting to me is that these stories are not made up fairy tales, Ninny doesn't have any magic storytelling tricks, she just told the truth of what happened. While we may not be ready for a nursing home, as parents we have certainly lived much more than our children. We have seen and experienced things that could be shared in story form for an endless supply of bedtime stories.

Value of Storytelling
While reading is certainly fundamental, storytelling is full of wonderful values. Unfortunately it is becoming a lost art with all the technology available right at our fingertips. Taking the time to slow the pace and tell stories develops literacy, stimulates imagination and most importantly, it strengthens family relationships.

After hearing stories of my mom's early years in school, I had a greater understanding of her. When my kids hear the stories of my childhood, I am hoping it will have the same affect. The truth is, not every story needs a moral or a lesson. Sometimes just telling something silly that happened in your past is enough. Those will probably be exactly the stories that are asked to be repeated.

If this intimidates you, or you can't think of a single story to tell; the following ideas will help jumpstart storytime.

Memories.
Think back to your childhood. Look through pictures if necessary to jumpstart your brain. Don't worry if you can't remember every detail, improvise! Embellishing your own memories is a great way to come up with exciting stories on the fly. If your narrative is starting to get boring, add something imaginative to stir up the action. Does your son love dinosaurs? Maybe a T-Rex, or a fire-breathing dragon could make an appearance. Just don't get upset when your son reminds you of how old you are! After all, you met a dinosaur.

Memories from your family. Starting a story with a memory your child was a part of is fun too. When the family is sitting around the table, a single memory of "remember when Joey..." can start an evening of tales. Mix a few tall tales into the stories to see if they are paying attention, or just to add a little more excitement.

Involve your child.
Let them pick the characters, setting and plot. Ward off dementia by letting your kids give you story starters. Ask a few questions to get them going and then run with it. So what if you main character is a piece of toast who lives in the rain forest and is on a secret mission. If you are completely stumped, feel free to ask your child what happened next.

Play the Good, Bad Game. This game is a great way to bond with your child through laughter, and shared play. Have fun on a long car ride with this activity. Take turns adding to the story. We have made the rule that one person adds something good, and then the next person has to add something bad in order to keep the story exciting. For example, if the piece of toast managed to cross a river of alligators, the next person could add, "but then Mr. Toast fell in a mud puddle."

Prop it up.
When your child wants a story and you are plum out of ideas, look around the room. Picking up a few props can do wonders for the imagination. The seven fish in my fish tank are frequent characters in my stories, as well as the cat and dog. Stuffed toys, action figures and even shoes have been characters over the years.

Some stories are more successful than others. It really isn't about the commercial success, Modeling on-the-spot storytelling gives children skills that cannot be found in a book. These skills will come in handy when they need to write sentences in school, or give speeches. Not only is storytelling helpful academically, the time spent together will certainly deepen family relationships, and it's fun!

More by Sylvie Branch:

Four Fun Ways to Burn Energy with Your Kids

Tips for Reinforcing Good Behavior

Helping a Child Deal with Disappointment