Storytime is a tried and true way to bond with the next generation. As grandparents we have memories to spare from years gone by. These often-repeated tales may have lost their entertainment value for the big people around us, but they’re a treasure trove when it comes to regaling the grands. Become the “Keeper of the Stories” and make those memories work for you! 

There are many benefits to telling family stories. For starters, they ground children, helping them feel part of a continuing saga that is bigger than them. But they can also be used to encourage and instruct without seeming to educate, and that’s always a win!

For instance, our oldest grandson looks very much like our son, his Uncle Phillip. And our oldest granddaughter, well, she looks like her Aunt Jessica! The grands have heard this from every direction. Here’s how I use these resemblances. 

Hearing about Uncle Phillip’s basketball playing days and his incredible work ethic is music to the ears of ten-year-old basketball loving Grant Thomas, who is already putting in countless hours honing his game. And Emerson? She who looks and acts like my daughter, her Aunt Jessica? Just recently, as I was trying to put Emerson’s hair up in a ponytail, I was surprised to discover she had entered a stage where she didn’t want hair “bumps” to ruin her ‘do. Emerson wanted the crown of her head to be super smooth, which took me back to yesteryear when my daughter and I would go around and around getting all the bumps exactly right and end up late for wherever we were headed! What frustrated me then, amused me now, and Emerson was likewise tickled to know that Aunt Jessica could feel her pain. Again, shared experiences build family camaraderie. 

As our littles grow, hearing about their parents’ challenges can also help them learn to navigate their own. So, pull those memories out and brush them off! Become the Keeper of the Stories and your grands will lean in a little closer when they hear you say, “That reminds me of the time…”