Story Telling

[zoebird]

so, i was reading a blog by an australian waldorf mom and play-group leader, and she spoke about storytelling.

we are on break, and at our next playgroup, we will have another 10 weeks of the story that she will design, and then we will have summer break. Christmas, New Year, and all of January.

during the break, i want to bring in a story for DS that we can tell each day. i'm wondering if i should have 3-4 stories to alternate between, or one for each day of the week, and just move through the rotation, or what.

some of the work that i have been reading is about "healing stories." we've had a bit of trauma over water here--the business has flooded a few times, the toilet tank fell off the wall and caused a bit of trauma to the boy, and quite honestly, he will not bathe due to a slip in the tub some months ago. we've been giving him sponge baths, and once a week "force" him to wash his hair through much upset and screaming. we have tried bathing with him, engaging him in water play and trying to entice him in, and so on, but it's not working.

i was thinking that perhaps a healing story would work for him. one example of a healing story was given in some article a read, where a little girl didn't like to be dried after her bath. it was a story of a grandfather towel teaching the child towel how to do his job well, so that each towel is informed and xcited about his/her work. this excited the little girl, and then she enjoyed being dried after her bath, and all was well.

so, i'm looking to create a story about bathing to see if we can get DS going back into the water.

how do you use stories in your home? which stories particularly delight you and your LOs? how do you design them (if at all)?

just looking for some inspiration!

[LuxPerpetua]

I'm not sure how helpful this will be because my dd (4.75) has never had an issue with a traumatic event up to this point, but we do use storytelling. (Btw, I think your idea of a healing story is a great one!) For us, my child has difficulty playing with toys. She loves acting things out and herself being a character and such, but she seems to have a difficult time using figurines to act out a storyline. I have no idea if this is unusual but the few friends she does have seem to engage in this type of play all the time and it bothers me that dd doesn't, primarily because it would encourage her to play more independently, as well as offer more opportunities for pretend play. So, in that vein, I like to set out a scene with playsilks and whatever figurines or object that are needed and tell a simple story that way. I try to include some realistic figures but also non-realistic ones too (like in our last story, the fairies were jingle bells) just to keep fluidity in the idea of figurine play, that "anything can be anything." I usually focus them around the seasons, and I don't have a set day for storytelling (with my personality, it really has to be spontaneous and NOT feel like a chore). I just tell the same story several times per month. I'm not great at coming up with stories so they can be rather lame, but dd seems to like them. Also, while I act out the story, dd is in charge of playing xylophone music at the important parts. She really likes that, and ringing the bell to signal the start of the story. Anyway, that's us. I hope more people chime in so that I can get more ideas. I need a lot of help in this area!

[boatbaby]

We are CONSTANTLY telling stories in our home. Constantly.

It started with DS was a baby, I had 2 long poems/ stories that I recited him each nap/ bed time while nursing (The Owl & The Pussycat and Wynken Blynken & Nod). It became a Pavlov's dog effect after a while, and I could use to to calm him in the car seat and other times when nursing was not working or available. This went on for at least 4 years.

Then I started telling stories about my mom (who died long before DS was born) because she used to tell me fantastic stories about her childhood in South America. He was hooked. Then our dog died and he was brought in to the story fold. My mom and our old dog have become iconic mythological characters in their own right, and I craft the tales around what he wants/ needs to hear at the time. (http://zachaboard.blogspot.com/2009/...uper-hero.html)

My husband has come up with his own storylines and kooky characters as well. It helps us fill that small but still existant gap between our Waldorf-inspired TV-free/ character free home and some of his friends who eat/ sleep/ breath super heros and media. DH will tell a "super hero" story, but crafts it to what we feel is an age appropriate story line and theme, often the only thing it has in common with the mainstream is the superness, but it makes DS feel like he's connecting to that world (when in truth he gets very overwhelmed and scared by the real thing). Think, Superman & The Gnomes - haha! Does this make any sense?

So while we have a handful of favorite tales he asks for, we often use his ideas and the reactions flashing across his face to make it up as we go and tell tall tales every day about this and that. I feel it's SUCH an important way for our family to connect and check in while keeping his critical dream state in tact.

[boatbaby]

I wanted to add that many parents feel they are not creative enough or dramatic enough to pull off original story telling. NOT SO! Your child is NOT judging your abilities or voices or storyline. They just want to hear your voice. They just want to connect with you. They just want that undivided attention. No matter how short or unoriginal or "lame" or geeky you feel, you child does not get any of that. You are their everything.

My husband, who is the most left brained, analytical, computer geek type you will ever meet manages to do it. And maybe I laugh at him (to myself of course) but I am a jaded adult. DS is absolutely absorbed in his awkward, yet earnest, story times. It's become a very important nightly ritual for them.

Just close your eyes and jump in.

[henny penny]

Yes, boatbaby!!!!!! Thank you! Just close you eyes and jump in! It gets easier and easier.

[zoebird]

i don't really have issues with storytelling per se. i mean, i do fine on that front.

our playgroup leader recommended having a story that you do over and over. hawk loves curious george books, and so we often tell stories based on that (or on things he likes--like the spiders or snails or hot air balloons or helicopters, etc).

but each week at play group, he gets a nice little played out story, and i thought i would do that over the holidays, and also create one to help him work through the bathing/water issue. that's stumping me a bit. he loves ducks, though, so i think i'm going to go and work with the duck stories.

[lyrebird]

Zoebird, do you mind sharing which Aussie blog that was? Always after local links...
The water issue sounds traumatic. I have found healing stories to be very effective. My DS1 had to wear an eye patch so I made up a story about a possum who had to wear one.

just a couple of ideas, what about giving the droplets of water a life of their own - perhaps talk about the water sprites - given them some positive energy, make them fun.

Coming into warmer weather might help - hoses in the garden/sprinklers, watch the sun glistening in the droplets. Catch the droplets.

I recorded some of the stories I made up so DS1 could listen to them on a long plane flight (and sometimes when he's sick - better than TV, I think and he can stay in bed). So they are healing in a different respect.

Doing the puppet plays requires a bit more thought - I reckon you keep them as simple as possible at that age, and if he's getting them at playgroup that's probably enough...

I did one last year for Mary's Little Donkey - the chapter book, starting at advent and finishing just a couple of days before Christmas. He loved it, but he's a bit older and has very good attention.

[zoebird]

i won't be carrying puppets on the trip with me, but i do quite a bit with hand gestures as creatures, which i really enjoy. it's like doing the "itsy bitsy spider" with everything.

and turns out, the kid is quite gesture happy too.

i'll have to think about the water droplets thing, and see how it rolls out.