You finally have the kids bathed and in bed. They have had a glass of water, you read a story and they still won’t sleep. Don’t despair they need a family story from the best storyteller in the world – YOU!
HOW?
What Fairy Tale, Aesop Fable or Mother Goose story or folk tale are you very familiar with, or have a copy of in print form.
If you need an idea here is a link to some:
http://www.taleswithmorals.com/
Follow the story arc – beginning, middle, end
Change the characters to members of your family. The children were named, Carolyn and Stephen, ( or whatever names are in your family)
Change the setting to a place your child knows, “the whole group of children were at a small park named…”
Change the villain to a known fear and something that can be conquered like dark with a flashlight give them tools and the power to conquer
Add the hero character, sometimes it can be the child, did they save a kitten named Princess from a huge dog named Dragon
Describe the clothes with favorites of the child so they can make the mental images quickly, “she had on pink sneakers with purple glitter laces, and…”
Add new words to increase vocabulary, just tell them what it means “the Dragon was enraged – he was really mad”
When the story is over tell them to lay there and repeat it in their mind as they drift off to sleep, they can see and repeat the scenes they like.
This could be a way to introduce a relative from the past, Once there was a Great Grandfather he lived near a large factory that made airplanes. Every day he put on a brown uniform shirt, and brown pants and walked down the hill from his house to the factory. He was in charge of a group of men that painted airplanes. He painted their names on them. He liked paints…
Good Night, Sweet Dreams!
