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10 Reasons to Tell Your Kids Stories
By Mark Brandenburg
In today’s busy world, many parents have lost the art of
telling their stories to their kids. Here are some reasons why
these stories are so beneficial.
1. Use them to teach lessons about life. Stories
will stimulate conversations with your kids more effectively than
lecturing or trying to get them to talk. There are a lot of issues
happening for your kids these days, and stories give them a chance
to reflect on them.
2. Stories connect your kids with previous generations.
In a society that seems to have families spread out all over,
it's vitally important to have ways to have your kids feel connected
to their extended families.
3. Stories stimulate your kids’ imagination.
One of the best ways to prepare your kids for the world is to
engage them in vivid stories that stir their imagination. Kids
who are exposed to these kinds of stories will be the creative
problem-solvers of the future.
4. Kids who are exposed to stories will continue the tradition
with their own families. Knowing that your family traditions
and stories will be carried on by future generations is very
comforting.
5. Stories can encourage your kids when they're discouraged.
Childhood can get pretty discouraging sometimes. Kids
are encouraged by knowing that Mom or Dad have gone through the
same kinds of things and have survived.
6. Telling your stories has you remembering your own childhood.
Telling your kids about your childhood is a great way for you
to remember and reflect on what was important about your younger
years.
7. Telling stories helps to create depth and soul in your
kids. In a TV and media-crazy culture, telling stories
can capture your kids’ attention and convey real meaning.
It’s a way to show your kids what’s really important
in your life.
8. Telling stories to your kids tells them they're worth
the time. Is there anything more important than conveying
to your kids that you want to spend intimate time with them? They’ll
remember it forever.
9. Telling stories is a great chance to convey your values.
Your kids will be getting quite a few messages from their
friends and from popular culture. Stories are a great opportunity
to sneak in a few of your cherished values for your kids to hear.
10. Well-crafted stories create a wonderful mind-set for
your kids before they fall asleep. Kids will fall asleep
faster and with healthier images when you tell them your stories.
Don't pass up the opportunity to connect with your kids at the
same time you tell them what's important to you. It will be a
huge gift to your kids, and a huge gift to you.
Mark Brandenburg, MA, CPCC, CSC, is
an author, speaker and certified relationship coach. He has worked
with individuals, teams and families to improve their lives for
more than 20 years. He is
the author of a number of books for men, including 25
Secrets of Emotionally Intelligent Fathers. Mark
coaches parents from around the country through weekly telephone
coaching sessions on balancing their lives and improving their parenting.
He runs workshops and gives presentations for fathers and for parents
that are enthusiastically received, as well as teleclasses for parents
at MarkBrandenburg.com.
