Making up stories
How to spin a lively yarn that's not by-the-book
I’m rubbing my temples when I see them: my thumbs. Within minutes, the kids are chanting “and up the hill and down the hill” as my thumbs, a.k.a. Mr. Dickie and Mr. Dweedle, are gliding, dancing, rolling. Before we know it, it’s time to board the boat. Salvation arrived in the form of a tiny tale I learned at a storytelling workshop.
That was two summers ago and I still count on the thumb story to distract. Storytelling is a skill that parents have used for centuries, but one that Peg Hasted says we are at risk of losing, thanks to our busy lives and reliance on technology for entertainment.
Why is telling children stories so important? For one, the Victoria storyteller points out, 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. “It’s a gift to you and your child,” Hasted says. And while the emphasis is on having fun, researchers say this simple pastime might even boost children’s brains.
University of Waterloo developmental psychologist Daniela O’Neill has found that a preschooler’s ability to tell a story from multiple characters’ points of view correlates with the child’s later mathematical abilities. “Both rely on reasoning about relations between abstract entities. In stories, children take into account characters’ different perspectives,” says O’Neill. “Storytelling might be helping a child to think in ways we don’t even know about. Don’t assume this is just playtime — there is real work going on.”
Great tips on saving with coupons
How does she do it?: Hayley Wickenheiser
Mother's Day and the adoptive mom
Party of Five's Scott Wolf is expecting baby #2
Getting to the core of un-schooling
Seasonal preparation checklist
Common miscarriage questions
Tween and teen issues
What do you think?