There is nothing my kids love more than a good story. That’s good news for me because I love telling stories. Needless to say, storytelling is my favorite family tool to use while spending time with Abby (age 7 1/2) and Mitch (age 6), especially at bedtime.

    Their favorite stories tend to be ones based upon my childhood. Of course, I give my stories an epic-like quality to make them more interesting. The amount of “epicness” I add is based on how big their eyes get while I tell the story (I guess, like most dads, I tend to forget that bedtime stories are supposed to unwind the kids).

    For instance, when I tell “The Windy City” (based on a real experience), I make the modes of transportation from Austin to Chicago quite eventful. My lap is transformed into the truck seat, the plane seat, and the train seat — each having it’s own range of motion, sound, and situation. Over time, I have learned to throw in some interactive elements so Abby and Mitch can participate in the storytelling as well (i.e. making wind or crashing sounds or guessing parts). They ask for this story often and always request it when their friends or cousins spend the night. We have lots of fun with this story.

    As a kid, I loved watching “The Andy Griffith Show” (if you now hear a whistling sound, that’s just the theme sound playing in your head). I especially loved the episodes where Andy would tell stories to his son, Opie. Andy’s stories were always entertaining and often revealed a lesson for Opie to learn that would help him with a current problem. I marveled at Andy’s storytelling ability and clever way of imparting truth to others.

Early in life I learned the value of a good story.

    My Uncle Rolley was a storyteller. I worked in his TV repair shop during my teen years and came to appreciate my uncle’s ability to “spin a yarn.” Rarely a day passed without someone stopping by the shop claiming they just wanted to say hi, but really stopping with the hope of hearing a good story or joke.

    Between Andy Griffith and my Uncle Rolley, early in life I learned the value of a good story. As a teen, I used to make up stories and tell them to my younger cousins when I was bored. Later, as a young adult, I revised some of these stories and told them to my nephews and nieces as bedtime stories. Now, with kids of my own, storytelling is a natural part of our bedtime routine.

    The funny thing is that I don’t consider myself a great storyteller. But to my kids, I’m the storyteller king. Guess what dads (and granddads)? You can be one too! It’s that easy. Try sharing a slice of your past in a creatively told story this week. I promise you, your kids will love it!

 

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© 2002, Eddie Matthews. Used by permission.

Title: "The Art of Storytelling"
Author: Eddie Matthews
Publication Date: June 18, 2002