Your child will see some truths only through tales

Two goats living on two separate hillocks linked by a bridge, had made a habit of trespassing into each other’s territory. One day, both of them came face-to-face on the bridge. Reluctant to give the other the way, they rammed into one another and both ended up in the river.

The moral of the tale was not lost either on the goats, which became accommodative of one another from the next day, but also the 20-odd parents who listened to the story at a storytelling workshop here on Sunday. They had suddenly found a way to make their children understand the need not to lock horns unnecessarily with their peers.

Mili Jalan, mother of a nine-year-old boy and workshop participant, said the narration also taught her a few storytelling basics. “Facial expressions and body language play important roles in storytelling. If you say big, it has to emphasised loudly, not in a murmur. The child will immediately pay attention to you if you stress the right words,” she said.

Organised by Hippocampus, a library and experience centre for children, the workshop sought to stress that the art of storytelling and good parenting went hand in hand. According to Jeeva Raghunath, a Chennai-based storyteller, who conducted the workshop, the event’s purpose  was to facilitate meaningful conversations between parents and children.

“Storytelling is the most powerful medium to inspire creativity and sow ideas in the impressionable minds of children,” she explained.

“I have been trying to motivate my child to build his language skills, besides forging a bond with him. I have found this workshop extremely useful,” Mili Jalan admitted.

“I did not know the stories should be based on the mood of the child. I never thought that one can even narrate personal experiences in a story format. The key is to incorporate the message in a subtle manner,” she added, wiser after the workshop.

For Neeta Lalwani, a Bangalore-based storyteller, the workshop was more of a session on effective parenting. “Storytelling involves many senses. The child can pick up new words and values through stories,” she observed.

“Storytelling will instil a spirit of inquiry in the minds of children,” said London-based Craig Jenkins, who addressed a session.