Storytelling to Your Child

One thing we were reminded of at the parents' circle meeting at my son's school is that there is this misconception that storytelling is about telling a story from a book.

It's one way to do it, but there are other ways to storytell to your child.

For one, you can tell them about what they did for that day. For another, you can tell them about what you did as a child. Your child got a new pet? Then it's time for that story when you almost got bitten by a dog. Your child doesn't want to brush his teeth? Then it's time for that story when you first went to a dentist.

Then, you can also build anticipation for a trip. What will greet them at grandpa's farm? Is it a tree bearing mango fruits, or a dog tied to the fence?

Also, you can storytell about things they're interested in... like animals. For the very young, the story doesn't need conflicts to be resolved either. You can just weave a story about how a flower blooms, and as they get older, be more picturesque in your descriptions of how something looked like.

Books are lovely, precious things... but sometimes, what your child needs is a connection to what is relevant to him, and that includes your history and really, just you being in the moment with him as you share a story.