Family Stories
The Importance of Storytelling
His Story, Her Story, Our Story
“
Tell me a story, Grandma,” says five-year-old Kieran, as he pulls up his chair in front of me. It’s summer, and we’re taking advantage of relaxed COVID restrictions to camp together. “What kind of story?” I ask. “A new one!” says Kieran. I think for a moment, then launch into an improvised tale about a boy who wants to be a squirrel. All three of my young grandchildren love stories and I love telling them, so it’s a match made in heaven. As it turns out, the role of grandparents as storytellers is as old as language—and continues to be important even in these media-saturated times. A good story isn’t just entertaining; it’s a shared experience between teller and listener, an opportunity to give each other undivided attention. The stories themselves may pass on values or information, or offer glimpses into our collective cultural heritage. Storytelling is certainly more challenging when distance or COVID restrictions prevent us from being together in person, but with a little creativity, we can still keep this tradition alive.
Family History
Rachel Dunstan Muller is a grandmother of three, a children’s author, and a professional storyteller to audiences of all ages. You can learn more about her work at racheldunstanmuller.com.
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Grandparents are often the unofficial historians of their families—a most important role. In a 2001 study by Drs. Marshall Duke and Robyn Fivush, children who knew the most about their family histories scored the highest on tests for self-esteem, resilience, and social and academic competence. The researchers concluded that the family stories they’d heard had given these children a sense of security and rootedness, and taught
them that they belonged to something bigger than themselves. They’d learned that setbacks and obstacles were part of life, but that they could be overcome. Since we carry them around in our memories already, family stories are often the easiest to tell. Young kids love to hear about the humorous misadventures of their parents and grandparents when they were young, while older kids may be interested in the more serious trials and triumphs we’ve experienced, as well as those of more distant ancestors.
Fictional Stories
There’s a wealth of fictional stories worth sharing as well, stretching from the present back to mythic times. As I write this the library can only be accessed remotely, but the library’s online catalogue is still a great place to search for and request wonderful materials, from the world’s great myths, to collections of folk and fairy tales, to contemporary picture books that can be either read-aloud or learned and shared orally. Alternatively, visit fairytalez.com to browse a collection of more than 4,000 stories from around the world.
Made Up Stories
Preparing your own original stories in advance or making them up on the spot can be a wonderful creative exercise—and especially fun if you involve your grandchild in the story-making along the way. Depending on their age and enthusiasm, they can contribute a name, setting, character or even significant plot development. Creating an original story or “customizing” an
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