If you’re going to enhance your bedtime routine by adding a story – make it a good one.
My friend Lis is the mother of three grown daughters and an experienced elementary school-aged special education teacher. I was describing Sleepytime Club to her and Lis got excited. She sees children with sleep issues all the time. She’s well aware of the misdiagnoses – frequently learning issues are really sleep issues.
She’s worried about kids’ stressful schedules – jumping through hoops to get “A’s” without considering if there is any real learning or retention, sports teams that focus only on winning, 38% of toddlers being occupied by tablets and smart phones instead of human interaction…the list goes on.
Basically, our kids are being distracted from their very nature – what makes each one of use unique and life a joyful experience rather than a board game with winners and losers.
They race through homework and down-time is TV which…we cannot escape this…runs on advertisements targeting our kids to find contentment by buying more things.
What’s the antidote? Choose beauty. Choose a positive, peaceful inner voice for yourself and the children in your care.
Instead of the TV or a tablet or other distractions determining what you take into sleep with you, choose to be conscious when it comes to the stories shared your family. This is why Sleepytime Club is posting free downloads of classic poems, stories, and lullabies for a calming activity to share before sleep.
Let’s start a home library together.. It doesn’t clutter up the house, it only takes up some space on your computer. Eventually it will take up no space – you’ll be carrying it around the stories, poems, and songs inside…
…how’s that for making memories that get passed on between generations?
This week’s download is a story from the Navajo tradition – about Coyote and the Stars. Coyote is a classic “trickster” character which is found in many – maybe every! – folklore tradition. Introduce your children to Coyote, Anansi the Spider, Brer Rabbit, and even Jack of the Jack Tales and you’ll be introducing your children to characters they will encounter in literature and life.