When I was little, my dad would tell us stories about a boy named Charlie Farkinson. He was a problem child who did all kinds of things to get himself in trouble. Sometimes they were crazy and dangerous things like walking on top of the swing set. I remember that Charlie Farkinson also had rotten teeth from all the sugary food he ate without brushing his teeth. These were stories that me and my siblings loved to hear! My dad said it was just a story for us to hear so it was a joke that my mom wasn’t allowed to be around during these stories. Through these stories unbeknownst to us, we were being taught life lessons. And all three of us still remember these to this day! And we still won’t tell our mom anything about Charlie Farkinson.
I started to tell my kids similar stories a couple years back. It all started when one of them asked me to tell them a story while I was giving them a bath. So I concocted a story about Allison and Colby, whose names are very similar to theirs. I think the very first story was about talking back, which was a problem we were having at the time. They listened and when it was over I didn’t think anything of it again. Until the next week they asked me to tell them another Allison and Colby story. They eagerly listened as I fabricated another story. Thankfully, this didn’t turn into a nightly thing! Sometimes I have a difficult time coming up with a good story. They still ask for a story a couple times a month. I always try to tell a story with a theme that’s relevant at the time. They really like when I imitate the little boy talking because he can’t say his R sound. For some reason they always think that is hilarious!
I just told an Allison and Colby story this past week. We have been in quarantine over 2 months now so probably like most kids, they tend to argue and bicker more than usual. After a particularly rough day, my son asked me to tell a story. I told them a story about Allison stealing Colby’s sucker and then Colby retaliating by ripping Allison’s doll’s head off. They really liked this story and thought the funniest part was when Colby tried to tape the doll’s head back on to make up for his mistake. The lesson was about handling problems, apologizing and making up for mistakes. Time will tell if they will carry out the lesson learned, but they did talk about it the next day!
Now, I haven’t researched the effectiveness of story telling or anything. I will only say that I do hear them referencing back to stories sometimes. Then other times I will use it to remind them of what happened to Allison and Colby when they did that. Typically they smile and shape up their behavior for the time being. If anything else, it’s a great way to connect with your children. It also gives them something to remember into their adulthood. Then someday maybe they can tell their own children stories….
