Bedtime Story Ideas
Reading your children a story at bedtime is a traditional opportunity for bonding with them and can also improve their language skills and lower their stress levels. If your children are clamoring for new stories but you have no idea where to begin, consider your children's ages as well as the stories they have enjoyed the most to decide what to read next.
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The Classics
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Choose from a variety of classic stories by authors such as Aesop, Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen. Depending on your children's ages and maturity levels, you may need to adapt some of the stories to soften their impact. The traditional ending of "The Little Mermaid," for example, has the titular character turn into foam as the prince marries another girl.
Classic Children's Books
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Once your children are older and able to follow a continuous narrative night after night, you can begin reading longer classic children's books to them rather than shorter tales. Books such as "Pinocchio," "Alice in Wonderland," "Pollyanna," "Pippi Longstocking," "Little Women," "Robinson Crusoe" or "Gulliver's Travels" can provide extended entertainment for your children and help them learn how to deal with more complex situations than those encountered in fairy tales.
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Modern Children's Books
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Children's books written by contemporary authors are widely available and tailored to children of all ages. Younger children will benefit from simple, short books. You can allow older children to accompany you to the book store and encourage them to select a book they would like you to read to them.
Personalized Tales
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Add a little creativity to your children's bedtime stories by inventing tales that involve them as the protagonists. You can take inspiration from normal fairy tales or the events of the day, or simply create them on the spot. Another alternative is to take inspiration from your life and tell the children about your own childhood or how you met your partner.
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References
- Photo Credit bedtime (series 2) image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
