Secure early bonds with your child with storytelling

The art of storytelling has been considered as one of the best ways to establish good bonds with your children while inculcating good values in them. There is also always a discussion that follows the story and this interaction is the stepping stone for the early bonds with your child.

Story narration helps enhance your child’s listening capacity. (Source: Getty Images)

By Sudhanshu Rai

The foundation of a child’s first relationship is laid through the parent-child relationship. It is the first and among the most important relationships in their lives. Since children spend their life’s first decade completely under the influence of their parents, it is really important for parents to secure close bonds with them at an early age. Parenting is undoubtedly a difficult job. However, if you maintain a close relationship with your children, you are likely to become their friends for the rest of your life. A friendly and jovial relationship between parents and children often inclines the latter to discuss their problems, listen and follow the seniors’ guidance.

Most parents struggle with the major question of “how”. It is a huge question among parents about how to secure a good and deep relationship with their children.

The art of storytelling has been considered as one of the best ways to establish good bonds with your children while inculcating good values in them. Communication is always the foundation of the best relationships and with storytelling you get to develop the same. As you narrate stories, your child listens to you with interest. There is also always a discussion that follows the story and this interaction is the stepping stone for the early bonds with your child.

Also Read: ‘Storytelling is about passing on our imagination to children’

With communication being the premise to bond with child, while you are carrying out the art of storytelling, you are also inculcating values which will stay with them for life. These values include:

Developing socio-emotionally

It is always seen that children who are good readers or have even a slight inclination towards books, are likely to be have better understanding of situations. Tales crafted especially for children often come with a moral to teach kids, which influence their basic manners and behaviour to a great extent.

Develop listening and communication skills

Story narration does not only introduce kids to the new world of words and vocabulary, but also helps them enhance their listening capacity. While you are narrating the story to your child, ensure that they participate too by responding to it instead of simply listening. This will help in improving your child’s oral communication as well and it is really important to teach communication to your child right in their early years. This helps in building a good communication between you two as well.

Also Read: ‘There seemed no hope, no joy…nothing until the storytellers moved in’

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Exposing them to a whole new land of knowledge

Undoubtedly, stories or the world of literature transports you to a whole new land which you may not be able to travel to physically. Storytelling is a great way of introducing new cultures and destinations to your child. It is also a great way of teaching them new concepts like animals, shapes, colours which they may find boring or difficult otherwise.

With the busy schedules we all struggle with, communication between families is often an uphill task. As a parent, you are your child’s first point of contact and your absence could create a deep void in their lives. Storytelling could help you create the bridge between you and your child with a regular stimulation of communication. Carve out special time for your child and observe the difference in their overall development.

(The writer is Founder, Under the Banyan Tree.)