Why It’s Important to Share Family Stories With Kids

There are numerous benefits that come from reading stories and fairy tales from books to children. For one, reading with your children as part of creative childcare in Australia helps advance their language skills and extend their knowledge of the world, which would help with their own reading when they attend school. Reading with children early on also helps develop a love of books. In fact, this not only applies to kids but to adults as well. A recent study showed that reading literary fiction can help improve an adult’s ability to understand another person’s emotions better.

It can be difficult, however, to keep children’s attention when reading with them. After all, not all kids enjoy reading, with some even viewing the activity as punishment. If you are finding it hard to keep your child focused during story time, why not tell them stories that they’d be interested in? Family stories that involve them or the people around them are more likely to catch their attention and keep them entertained. Besides that, there are other benefits to telling family stories to your kids such as:

To Help Develop Empathy

Experimental studies have shown that parents who reminisce about their everyday events with children in detailed ways help their children tell richer narratives to other adults later on. These children also show a better understanding of people’s thoughts and emotions, helping develop their social skills. Having advanced narrative and emphatic skills can help children in their school years when learning how to get along with others and when reading complex materials.

To Improve Their Psychological Development

Meanwhile, psychological studies have shown that children who know more about their family’s history develop a higher self-esteem and a strong sense of control over their lives. The study asked children questions about their family like where their grandparents grew up or where their parents met and about themselves. The “Do You Know” scale includes a set of 20 questions that can help predict a child’s emotional health and happiness.

This is not surprising, however, as our identity is closely tied to our family’s history. Sharing family stories with your children reinforces family characteristics, like courage and creativity, and creates a connection between generations. Which is why when trying to incorporate creativity into child care in Australia, family stories is one of the best places to start.

Adults that have a strong knowledge of their families usually have better coping skills and more robust identities. Learn more about the importance of family storytelling and creative childcare in Kotara with Creative Childcare . Get in touch with us today.