When we were in New Zealand in February my nephew introduced Elliot to the idea of stories in the car. More specifically, the idea of Mum or Dad telling a story in the car. We did a lot of driving so there were a lot of stories. And I knew when we got home it was going to continue. And it has.
We have a rule that only the person in the passenger seat can tell a story, not the driver, as the driver has to concentrate. So often if Greg and I are both in the car with the kids, Elliot asks for a story.
It's draining. We usually get some guidance from Elliot in the form of a colour and a vehicle. For example, a story about a light blue fire truck. We're on our own after that. We try to make it interactive, and Greg is better at this than me, but Elliot usually just likes to listen. A few times we've convinced him to tell us a story, but that doesn't work very often.
Greg and I now both jump at the chance to drive if we're all in the car, just so we don't have to be the one telling the story. Any literary people out there are probably grimacing at the lazy parenting here.
Okay, so there's the background. Elliot likes to hear stories in the car and we pretty much hate telling them. So when I saw the "Telling Tales" article in the October issue of Today's Parent, I knew it was a must read. Here's a quote:
"Why is telling children stories so important? For one, storytelling can create a magical, intimate experience. More significantly, though, taking time to create a story shows that you are willing to put your life on pause. And while the emphasis is on having fun, researchers say this simple pasttime might even boost children's brains."
Okay...so I'm feeling a bit guilty now. And I've decided to embrace the storytelling. Or at least try to be a bit more enthusiastic about it. And the article gave me some tips, namely:
- It doesn't have to be a made up story. Tell a fairy tale, or tell a story about my childhood.
- Start at the end of a classic tale. For example, what happened after Jack cut down the beanstalk? (This won't mean much to Elliot yet, but it'll make things more interesting for Greg and I.)
- Google "story starters" (haven't done this yet, but will).
- Answer a question like "will it ever stop raining?" with a story.
So next time Elliot asks for a story, I'm hoping to not view it as a chore, but as an opportunity.
Comments
chapter books
Reminds me of coming up with stories over here. Or movies. Charlotte has been asking me to "make a movie" with her the last few days. This one that we are poised to film is called the "Sea King's Daughter". We usually get as far as assigning the roles, with Daddy as the Sea King, and Charlotte as the Daughter, who is named "Tiffany" in the movie. We must get some plot happening, but I know that there are certainly going to be a lot of mermaids in there. Maybe even cow-mermaids we have decided.
This past summer, I was asked to come up with a story about a pirate. And you are right - it is hard to be creative on the spot. Over 4 days, Charlotte asked me to add a chapter, so we eventually got to chapter 4 before I ran out of gas. She actually didn't want that much, as I found out. So my lamest narrative of how this pirate got to be a pirate, and how he got his boat, and how he went to sea were all well-received. Of course the heroine of this story was also a pirate - and yes, the pirates hooked up and pillaged the seas of the world together....
Thanks for posting your thoughts on this topic.