Invent a story for your child: all our tips!

- Categories : Child Sleep , Parents Corner

Telling a story to your child is a unique opportunity to share a moment of true complicity at bedtime. Who does not have in his childhood memories a fabulous universe populated by treasures, monsters and princesses? Reading is an activity much appreciated by children, no matter how old they are, but we all agree: reading a story is good, inventing something for your child is even better! These stories help to spark curiosity, creativity and to convey important messages while having fun.

So how to get started? Here is our little personalized guide to invent a story for your children!

First step: the atmosphere.

Before moving from the role of parent to narrator of stories of all kinds, it is important to create an atmosphere conducive to the imagination. First, start by slightly lowering the brightness of the room. The dim light makes it possible to focus the attention of your child on your voice. Treasure and other miraculous objects will shine even more! Sit comfortably near your child and take the opportunity of not reading a book to make eye contact. Take a deep breath and say the magic words, "Once upon a time ..."

Tip #1: To make the atmosphere more credible, do not hesitate to use your body! Mime the characters, change voices, use the objects around you to make the story livelier.

Tip #2: Use your REMI night light to change the brightness of the room! Lower the light intensity on your application during moments of suspense and increase it slightly during quieter moments.

Tip #3: Awaken the curiosity of your child during the day. Tell him you're going to tell him a fabulous story!

 Second step: invent a story for your child.

1) Setting the context

It is imperative to start by setting the context. To invent a good story with your child, the most important choice is that of the main hero. And the golden rule is: no limit! The children have the particularity of being able to accommodate to all kinds of stories. Do not be afraid of the weird or the ridiculous and choose characters that please you both. To pose the frame make a brief description of the character: a dragon who has a toothache, a goblin so small that he could slip into a school kit ... Feel free to play on the current concerns of your child and avoid too long descriptions.

Tip #1: If you do not have a character idea, make your child the hero of your story! Ask him before if he agrees.

Tip #2: The association of words! Ask your child to choose an adjective and choose an object yourself. As soon as you are ready, take turns telling what you have chosen. So that will be the story ... of a masked cactus!

Tip #3: If you struggle with narrative development, ask questions: a story about an imaginary planet, a magical forest, a wizard school? The story is interesting when it's interactive!

2) Find the disruptive agent

A good story does not really start until the problems come. After setting the context and characters, they must live adventures! At this moment you can choose completely incredible situations: the wicked king of the kingdom imprisons the children, a storm is about to arrive; or you can opt to get a message related to your child's concerns: an argument between friends or a bad grade at school. Stories help to explain the attitudes helping to solve problems. 

Tip : Out of creativity? Do not put too much pressure on yourself: a story is first and foremost a time to share for fun! Do not be afraid to "copy" stories from movies or books you already know!

3) The outcome

Now that your story is in place you have to find how to end it. Faced with a difficult situation, your hero will have to learn how to solve it. Invent 1 or 2 friendly characters who will allow the main character to learn something! Whether it's value like respect and kindness or behaviors like washing your hands for example, it's up to you. It is also possible to materialize the learning by an object or a reward: a magic stone, a miraculous mirror etc ...

Thanks to all his adventures, your hero will then confront the main problem and bring balance back in his universe. It is important to close your story each time, even if the end is fast, to reassure your child that he will spend a pleasant night full of pretty dreams.

Last tip

Do not forget to have fun too! Get your child involved and try to create a world that you can reuse multiple times. A story can sometimes continue for weeks or even months! Your child, just like you, will eventually feel something for the characters and it will be all the more easy for them to live new adventures!

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