Stories instil many virtues in children. They teach them about their environment, stir creativity in them, develop their listening skills...the list goes on. This is why top providers of childcare in North Ryde incorporate storytelling in their curriculums.
We encourage you to do the same so that your child can have an all-round approach to this important teaching tool.
Children naturally love stories and fairy tales. But they may not always grasp the whole concept when the stories are about things not clearly known to them. A story about a world they have never imagined will capture their attention, but not for long as they are bound to forget bits of it.
Family stories, on other hand, are easy to relate to and grasp and we will show you why. Sharing them with your child has far-reaching benefits than any other tale. Read on to find out why they are important to their growth and development.
A Sense Of Identity
Telling your child stories about where they came from gives them a sense of belonging. They develop a better understanding of their family’s past, including traditions.
Once they hear about you growing up or what their grandparents did ages ago, they will feel the need to follow suit and carry on with the family legacy.
Family stories are not the hero-villain kind that are about constant wins; they are marked with victories and losses, teaching your child that there are highs and lows, further making them ready for life as it is.
From real adventures of older family members, they borrow important traits which they can confidently apply to their own life.
They Create A Bonding Moment
Family stories have a level of intimacy that no other story, however good, can achieve. Through them, your child gets to know you not only as their parent but also as a human.
Telling them about your past experiences, relationship with siblings and other family members draws them closer to you as they start empathising with you.
They bond with you as they relate to the highlights and low moments of your past and will not be shy to tell you about their current and future experiences.
Your child laughs more often around you if they understand that you were once a child with experiences similar to theirs. It fascinates them to know how you handled school, relationships with their uncles, grandparents and other close relatives and friends.
Emotional Growth
When your child understands that your family members have gone through good and bad moments in the past, this makes them better prepared to handle the future. Stories that involve wins and failures enable them to understand different emotions.
Unlike the stories or tales they are told while attending childcare in North Ryde, experiences in the family are closer to them and they relate better. Since they take these stories to heart, they are able to apply the lessons when dealing with difficulties in future.
Learning on a first-hand basis how their aunties, great grandparents or even cousins felt during a certain time defines emotions for them. This further gives them empathy which is an important virtue.
Boost Active Listening Skills
As we mentioned earlier, children have a short attention span when listening to stories they don’t participate in. Stories about worlds they do not understand spikes their interests, but only for a while and they will drift back to their reality.
Family stories are above this since children relate to them by feeling they are part of this amazing universe. They want to know how people they know dealt with different situations and will not hesitate to bombard you with questions, further satisfying their attention.
They will go for long without forgetting what they learn from family stories since they can put faces on the people in the stories.
Asking questions during storytelling is important for your child as they will utilise the skills while attending childcare in North Ryde. This helps them become better listeners and be active during class sessions.
Family stories evidently have plenty of great benefits to young children, from developing their sense of identity to refining their listening skills and creating strong family bonds. So in addition to having them receive the best childcare in North Ryde, create time and narrate to them random family stories about your life and that of other close family members. The skills they learn during such sessions will come in handy during their time in childcare, school and adulthood.