Telling stories with meaning as a parent are quite easy. You need to OBSERVE, LISTEN, RELATE, RECALL, and CONCLUDE. Here is what I did as a parent when telling stories to my two girls:
- Observed what my child was dealing with that day. This was foundational for using my experience to create a story.
- Listened to what my child was expressing. My kids told me what they needed to hear. Yours will, too.
- Related to my child’s situation by saying, “Once, when I was about your age, I had a similar experience…”. This began my story from my life.
- Recalled with details, which helped my story come to life. Painting a vivid word picture, using mood, colors, time of year, weather, smells, circumstances, other people who were involved, etc. helped make the story real. Details transformed my story into a life-learning adventure.
- Concluded by summing up what I learned.
Connect the lesson you learned to their experience. Don’t be surprised if your child says to you a few days later, “Tell me that story again about when you were a kid….”