Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlisch (wonderful authors of How to Talk so Kids will Listen and Listen so Kids will Talk) give great advice about happiness--they say to be your child's storehouse of happy memories and accomplishments and to retell these stories to strengthen your child's view of themselves. As I've been hanging out with my niece and daughter this week for the holidays, I've really been trying to retell happy stories for them, and it really has made the girls happy, and me, too!
What stories do you love to tell about your family? Are you creating moments now that will one day be part of your family's storehouse of happy memories and accomplishments?
I totally agree! I am just now making a storybook for my nephew. We took him a football in November and played out in the yard, teaching him what "defense" and "offense" mean, what the plays are called. He loved it! And I'm sure since it started snowing, he has not thought about that sunny afternoon in a long time. So...I'm making a little book with the photos I took - turning the photos in to a story (with a little bit of information book style in there too - this is called a hybrid - a story combined with expository text features - yes I'm a geek). He loves these little books and he can see them over and over - so even what could have become just a mundane afternoon activity now becomes a life story to tell over and over. I'm totally with you TJ!
ReplyDeleteLisa (Okay I can't figure out how to post this except as anonymous so I'll write my name here!)
How cool, Lisa! I love those personalized stories! And I bet your nephew will learn a lot from that cool hybrid story! Now you're inspiring me to make some while I have some time off! :)
ReplyDeleteI love Lisa's idea to put the story in writing with pictures! With Jaci being adopted, I feel like the stories and family time making new memories mean even more to her. She LOVES hearing the stories of what we did when we were little, especially when it's things that she and Flannery are doing now!
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