Stories Children Want
Posted By Karen on January 8, 2010
My grandson is 3-years-old; he’ll be 4 in March. He loves stories, but he likes them just right.
Over the past year, my daughter calls me almost daily for my grandson. She gives the phone to my grandson and the first thing out of his mouth, when I say hello, is: “Grandma tell me a story.” In fact, if I’m not at home, my daughter calls my cell phone for him.
This all came about to give my daughter a few minutes to do whatever she needs to like change my younger grandson or other motherly duty.
Anyway, it use to be that I’d tell the story, which was always about superheroes and he would listen intently. Now it grew into different protagonists and has become a topic of his choosing: superheroes, knights, Prince Charming or Prince Philip, Larry from Night at the Museum, Peter Pan, or Tuttenstein.
When we first began our telephone stories, as I mentioned, he’d listen intently. Then as the months went on, he would stop me and add to the story or change it.
Today, I was telling him a children’s story I wrote. In it a boy, Tom, is at bat and hits a home run. That wasn’t exciting enough for my grandson. He told me that as Tom was running around the bases, he stepped on a huge spring rock that shot Tom into outer space. As he came back to earth, a metoeor came with him and fell on him. His friends had to call Superman to help Tom.
So, what do I get from this?
Children, even from a young age, know what they want. Their wants and likes grow with their imagination.
And, kids, especially little boys, want ACTION and some kind of superhero.
For more on writing for children:
Three Basic Tools: Learn to Write for Children
Karen
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