Storytelling for tired parents

Do you ever watch a child’s focus when you’re reading a book to them? Do you feel that intimate connection they have with the characters and their actions? It’s magic, really.

As a writer and mother, I want to create that fairy tale experience for my children day in and day out. Is that realistic? Is that even necessary? Probably not.

But, to be honest, I don’t always have the energy to create shimmery experiences. I juggle a lot of things. So when the time comes to tell a story — a fresh, original story — I am often at a loss (even though I’ve written a novel!). I can sit and write anything at any moment in a day but to tell a good story that will stir magic in my children … well, that’s tough sometimes, especially at bedtime.

I’ve been trying to bring back the storytelling experience at home after taking a long break from it simply for no reason other than the kids have been learning to read and that’s so exciting. But, they are also learning to write — and above all, I hope to raise great writers and creative human beings. Anytime we share stories, we create connection. And, as an added benefit for parenting, it sparks imagination.

The truth is ANYONE, anyone, anyone can tell a story anywhere, any place and any time.

{Wow, that’s the magic, isn’t it?}

Stories are great while traveling to school, waiting at the doctor’s office, long road trips as much as they are great for bedtime, quiet time or family time around a blazing fire in the fireplace.

Here’s my list of tips for Storytelling for Tired Parents:

TELL THE TRUTH: When tired, the best stories are the ones that you can tell that are true. But don’t just tell it. Return to that story of your own childhood that is so memorable. Embellish the details, if you must, but tell the real deal. My girls love to hear me tell the story of how I spent a lot of time on my friend’s farm as a child playing super girls and *this* super girl fell into a manure pit while trying to climb a rope down a stone wall. My husband retells the story of a crow that his mother has told the grandchildren many times.

GO WITH THEIR PASSIONS: If your darling son loves dinosaurs — and who doesn’t? — then create a story about a Dinosaur. If your sweet girls love princesses and castles, make up your own fairy tales. I have retold the same story of two princesses that love to read but their books turn up missing after being stolen by the scary dragon in the dungeon a million times and my girls just loved it.

GO WITH YOUR PASSIONS: Maybe you are a new dad and you love fast cars but you had to sell one to get that minivan. Well, stories can bring those fast car days back in vivid ways. Or, perhaps you have a love of nature and the respecting the earth, as our family does, and so set stories around the message that you wish to send to your kids about appreciating the world around them by incorporating those elements.

INVOLVE YOUR CHILD: The thing about raising children {or grandchildren} is that we get to involve them in many things. Storytelling is no different. In fact, giving them most of the responsibility will only promote their imagination and creativity. You can ask your child to pick the character and story line. You give details and when you are stumped — and we all are sometimes — we ask them to give us a new character or a new plot to follow. Clarissa commented on my post 25 Ways to Just Be with your Children with this great tip: “We also tell stories where one of us starts and the rest fill in the blanks. Just random: “Once upon a time there lived a little girl named….(let the kids fill it in) and also a boy named… And their favorite place to go was… And at the _____ they saw a beautiful …, etc. my kids just love it! It gets their creative minds flowing too.” The beauty of this is that almost any age can participate.

PLAY A GAME: One of my favorite games to play with the girls is Remember when … Remember when we drove 750 miles to Gigi’s house and had to stop 100 times (exaggeration) because you were so little and you couldn’t sit for long periods of time? Remember when we took a walk while drinking hot chocolate? Remember when we went on that pirate ship and were shooting water cannons at other pirates? Thus, the magical reminiscing begins and continues and this game WILL go on for a very long time so remember this for long trips. Always save the most effective stories for the hardest times.

USE PROPS: Puppets, stuffed animals, little figurines, baby dolls, Barbies, cars and boats and train sets, action figures, wooden blocks. Use your pets, too. We often use our fish, Swimmy, as a story trigger in the mornings. These are all the starts of deep lands of imaginary characters and places that you can create for your child. Go there with them. Get lost in the land of parking garages and dragon-slaying knights. Once you get started {the hardest part} you will find the magic.

The ideas are pretty much endless. For this weekend, let’s practice bringing back the storytelling.

Here are your Honoring the Family weekend links with storytelling resources. We can be tired but that just can’t be our excuse anymore. We’ll always be tired as long as we’re raising children. Our time to fill their curious minds with our stories, our love is right now.

Bring the Family Together with Storytelling

Simple Storytelling by Simple Kids

“Child of Wonder: Nurturing Creative & Naturally Curious Children,” by Ginger Carlson. {She has a great section on storytelling. As well as Yes Days. And asking questions. }

Happy Family Time! I’d love to hear about some of your favorite ways to keep stories alive in your family.