Milestones: Telling Stories

Is telling stories a milestone? You bet it is!

I usually ask at the 3 year and 4 year well child check if a child is telling stories. This can include a re-telling of their day or can be a complicated made-up story. Or a story about imaginary friends. (Yes, imaginary friends can be a milestone too.)

I often get asked how I got my kids to be writers. I didn’t. They came upon it naturally on their own, inspired by their love of books, and maybe a bit inspired by Mr. Bookworm and me.

But their storytelling skills? Their ORAL storytelling skills? That’s all due to Mr. Bookworm’s fabulous stories that he told the girls almost every night when they were growing up. And still continues to this day.

Though I’ve always admired my Lola’s (my grandma’s) storytelling skills, I’m more of a word-on-the-page kind of storyteller.

Mr. Bookworm has told the girls many fabulous story series, but the ones they recall the most involve Ollie and Square Pig, which were inspired by a stuffed octopus and square-shaped pig that Mini Me has had since she was a baby.

Imagine my delight and surprise when Little Lion decided to tell me an Ollie and Square Pig story of her own. We were making a gluten free apple and peach cobbler from scratch and she was peeling the apples. (Yes, the peaches were from our own peach tree. Mr. Bookworm planted a mini orchard of sorts in our tiny backyard.) Little Lion’s version of the story included an upside down aquarium and many very detailed descriptions of the animals within. If you know Little Lion at all, you know that she is a chatterbox and she writes like she talks, in VERY GREAT DETAIL.

Let’s just say that we were all done putting together the cobbler and it was almost done baking in the oven by the time she was done with the story. And I’m not sure she was really done.

However, the whole thing warmed up my heart. And it’s a constant CONSTANT reminder for me to slow down and listen to my kids and their stories.

So whether your kid is 3 or 9 and they are just telling you about their day, cherish the moment for what it is—a small insight into how their unique mind works.

Tell Dr. Bookworm!

What’s your favorite story from when you were little? Or your favorite ‘story’ that your little one has told you? I like writing down some of the girls’ best statements and stories. Mr. Bookworm and I can quote them all day long. Let me know your faves in the comments!