Welcome! We are special people in our children's and grandchildren's lives. God made us so.These columns are for you - if you're a grandparent. Encouraging words fortify and strengthen us along the way. It's a place for heart to heart talks about your concerns, your blessings and your joy! "A Grandparent's Heart" tells the joys of storytelling, below. See "Life Lessons" here by Dea Sipes. Louise DuMont reminds us about Weeding and Seeding in our lifes in "Growing Up". The "Grass is Greener" as Celia Lehman shows us how God has sown good things in Sowing God's Way

If you can read to your grandchildren, you will have their attention forever. I have been fortunate that I could develop a "story telling" persona. It reached beyond my own family, into the community and has enriched my life greatly.

You can be a story teller as well. It doesn't take much. When your grandchildren are very small, 1-3 years old and perhaps even younger, you may get their attention with books by first introducing them to some "story buddies" Choose a few figure toys that may best suit the story you are wanting to tell. Most children have some. If they do not, you can use soft dolls and animals. As you read and tell your story, move your own figure or doll as if it is a character in the story. Soon, they will follow along with their own figure or doll, telling a part, or even all of the parts of the story.

Older pre-schoolers (3-5 years old) love to use puppets to help tell the story. If you can make a few using old socks or even paper bags, you will have all the props you need. Spend some time making puppets. There are many styles and patterns. On a rainy day, paint faces using wash off markers on their fingers.

Children who have been brought up on stories will love them even as they go into school. 6-9 year olds love to add sound affects to the stories. If you can manage a few of your own, that's even better. But do allow them to supply the sound, or add drama with their own gestures to the story. Believe me, an 8 or 9 year old child is very dramatic.

With a persona of my own as "Gramma Apple the Storyteller" I am able to enter story time wearing an outrageous outfit. If other dress-up clothes are available, do let the kids dress the parts in your story. You might begin it with your own "Princess Gwendolyn" garb, or other such costume.

Even older children might like to sit awhile and listen to a good book if there are smaller children present. The 10-12 year old set want to grow up, but may take many opportunities to remember themselves when they were 4, or 6. Some of them will enjoy helping with the younger kiddies, or help dramatize the story. Mysteries they can sequel or act out like a board game are great! Remember the Dinner/Murder Mystery?

Don't forget the bible stories. Imagine building a drama scene with puppets or toys, to tell the story of Jonah, or Noah, or Moses. This connection can be the most valuable one you'll ever make with your grandchildren, and for them to make with Jesus Christ.
Don't forget bed time. You can choose the book most suitable for the child's age and make it special. Play along a little with the story, but don't encourage too much rowdiness. Even older children will still enjoy bed time stories, and may want to help read along. You might end with a psalm for the child to think on. Always close with words of love, and of assurance God's love.

© April Boyer Feb 2008

April Boyer is a free lance writer in mid Ohio, wife, mother of two and Gramma Apple to two precious gems. She has published more than 47 articles in regional and national magazines and newspapers, and additional devotionals in e-zines. She is the retired founder and director of the 6-year old Ashland Area Christian Writer's Guild, and has printed a handbook, How to Establish a Christian Writer's Group, available for sale through her website http://aprilboyer.com. Pages on the website include her own writing services, writer's tips, encouragement, inspiration and a Bible study. Please mail requests or questions to April through her website contact page.

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"Let my words drop as the rain,my speech distill as the dew, as the droplets on the fresh grass and as showers on the herbs" Deuteronomy 32:2,3 "I proclaim the name of the Lord and ascribe greatness to our God!"