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Why Storytelling Is Way Better Than Lecturing Your Kids
David Sewell McCann suggests that the go-to parenting tip of our time should be speaking to children in a language they understand: the language of stories.
He left his sneakers out in the rain again. She will not leave her sister alone. He is terrified of spiders. She refuses to go to her annual checkup with the doctor. This is all normal everyday stuff for Moms and Dads everywhere. Fears, frustrations, anxieties, excitements, habits and dynamics and — as parents — we intervene.
For dads, this can often be a lecture. We reason with our children. We lay out the ‘reality’ that most spiders are not dangerous and that in fact, they are vital in the ecosystem. We explain that their sister is much smaller and that hitting them is never OK — especially with something hard like a fisher price telephone. We give them a very reasonable argument for changing their behavior, and sometimes they nod their heads and agree: they will try harder, they won’t do it again, they won’t be afraid next time, they will do what you ask.
But seldom does anything change. This rarely even works with adults, let’s face it. Still afraid of speaking publicly? Lost the keys again…
