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Category Archives: Let’s Chat

Let’s Chat with Katherine: The Power of Story for our Kids

3 / 2 / 193 / 3 / 19

The Power of a Story for our Kids

I’m excited to be here this month to share a great resource you didn’t even know you needed! You know that in the past few months I have shared some book reviews (click here and here to see those).

Let’s Chat with Katherine from The Comfort Table

But today I have something a little different for you.

If you have sons, you probably want to teach him things like honor, courage, character and honesty.  But, wanting to and actually doing it are two different things entirely.

I ran across this resource in teaching character to boys and I thought it was too good not to share. First, a little background…

Michael Gurian, author and educator

Michael Gurian is an author, family therapist and educator that has worked with school districts, families, churches and criminal justice agencies.  He has written extensively on child development and has written over ten books.  I heard him speak on this podcast and found his wisdom to be incredibly valuable.  He returned to Read Aloud Revival again to speak on the topic of girls and why listening to them is so incredibly important.

Through these podcasts, I wanted to learn more about what Gurian had to offer and found this little tool.  It is called What Stories Does My Son Need?: A Guide to Books and Movies That Build Character in Boys.   

source

The Format

First, there are 100 books and 100 movies chosen over the course of a boy’s life.  These stories are broken up into age groupings that are best appropriate for the child.  Next, Gurian gives 3-4 simple questions to engage your child that highlight certain character traits.  For example, when discussing The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, he asks, “Can you think of a time when you cared too much about yourself and not enough about someone else?  Why is giving as important as getting?”  The questions are simple, invite engaging conversation and don’t feel laborious.

The Power of a Story

Dr. Gurian says: “A decade of research into child development and the media confirms that until a child’s brain develops fully, it is imprinting, modeling and performing based on imagery it takes in from all social sources, including the media.  Even once we’re adults, our brains remain malleable to media imagery, as the continued effectiveness of commercials confirms.  But among children and adolescents, the effects are even more profound.  Especially until about age sixteen, the greater the exposure a boy gets to stimuli that do not teach compassion and self-restraint, the more difficult it becomes for him to learn such things.”

He goes on to say that storytelling is powerful, but even more powerful neurologically speaking.  To our kids, the stories they watch and hear and read are not only for entertainment but also a fountain of moral teaching as well.  Because of testosterone (the sex and aggression hormone), boys often gravitate toward stimuli that appeal to these aggression-based images.  Therefore, they can be exposed to images and content that is way too mature for their young minds.

If you consider the way humans previously used stories, adults would share folk tales to share stories about heritage, identity and character.  Fairy tales were later introduced to teach young ones how to progress through to maturity and the Bible is used to help our children understand spiritual concepts.  Today however, Gurian says:

“In our contemporary confusion about the worth and substance of stories–a natural confusion, given that millions of stories bombard us daily–we have forgotten their highest use.  In our busy lives, we have been unable to cull the useful stories from the useless.”

But as parents we can share good stories with our kids. This then gives our children the chance to watch (or hear) how someone else displays honor without them having to live it.  Then, when a situation demands their own honor (and we all know it will), they’ve had the time and space to think through how they can and should handle it on their own.  We want to teach and prepare our kids for everything but it is impossible.  But through the power of a story, we can share the experiences of others to prepare them for their own.

Maybe you are a parent of only girls.  Don’t discredit this great resource!  We all want our sons to understand self-sacrifice and empathy.  But girls also need  these traits and to identify these traits in the men around them as well.

You know that I’m very passionate about books and reading to my kids.  But if these stories can help give my kids the tools they need for making the right choice and choosing the right friends, it is worth every penny.  It is my hope that you find this resource valuable for your family as well.

What books or movies are valuable to you for sharing moral lessons with your kids?  What books or movies had a profound impact on you as a child? 

This was originally posted on The Comfort Table by Katherine Salinas. Click here for her original post and to learn more about her.  And click here for more of Katherine’s heart about motherhood.

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Let’s Chat with Katherine: Winter Book List

1 / 25 / 191 / 25 / 19

Hi everyone! I am excited to be back! I wrote a post in December for Christmas book recommendations and glad to be back again.

Currently, it is a beautiful sunny and snowy day here in Chicagoland.  We had kids pulling each other in sleds, my husband shoveling the driveway and I was put in charge of cocoa.  I love to be in charge of cocoa.

Winter is feared by those who don’t live in it, but it does bring about a coziness that I love.  I also love that it invites us to slow down, turn on the fire and take on a task we wouldn’t normally consider.  One of my favorite activities during these cold days is to snuggle up under blankets next to the fire and read with my kids.  So, here are a group of books highlighting this beautiful season.

Mama Dug a Little DenAlmost a Full Moon

You're Snug With Me  Got to Get to Bear's!

Mama Dug a Little Den by Jennifer Ward and Steve Jenkins–A sweet and lilting story with rhyme incorporates nonfiction elements. Each page describes how a different animal family builds a den for their loved ones.

Almost a Full Moon by Hawksley Workman and Jensine Eckwall–Beautiful illustrations capture the coziness of winter and how a simple pot soup can bring people together.  Enchanting.

You’re Snug with Me by Chitra Sounder and Poonam Mistry–As new baby cubs learn about the earth around them, they feel comforted as Mama repeats, “You’re snug with me.”  Illustrations are particularly interesting.

Got to Get to Bear’s by Brian Lies–This fun book talks about friendship and adventure.  I loved how loyalty and kindness is also highlighted with wonderful illustrations and perfect characters.

Samson in the Snow  The Snow Bear

Duck Skates  Katy and the Big Snow

Samson in the Snow by Philip C. Stead–A woolly mammoth encounters a little red bird in search of a yellow flower for her friend.  Samson wonders what it would be like to have a friend.  A sweet story of kindness and unlikely friendship.

The Snow Bear by Miriam Moss and Maggie Kneen–A polar bear cub wanders away from home and when she struggles to find her mama, she begins to use the snow to create a safe place.  Her woodland friends help along the way.

Duck Skates by Lynne Berry and Hiroe Hakata–Sweet little book of ducks going out to enjoy the snow.  Fun way to practice counting and delightful illustrations give lots to entertain.

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton–A classic that kids of all ages will love, Katy a strong and loyal tractor works hard to clear all the snow that keeps coming in her community.

Maple Syrup Season  Hurry Hurry Mary Dear

Snow Sounds: An Onomatopoeic StorySnow

Maple Syrup Season byAnn Purmell and Jill Weber–The Brockwell family works together to collect the maple syrup on their farm.  Fun illustrations captivate while learning something new!

Hurry, Hurry, Mary Dear by N. M. Bodeker and Erik Blegvad–While her husband rushes her along, Mary works hard to prepare for the coming winter.  Rhyming text and detailed illustrations make this a cozy read.

Snow Sounds: An Onomatopaeic Story by D. A. Johnson–“Hush, yawn, swoosh, slush, smoosh.”  Delightful illustrations captivate readers as you simply “listen” to the sounds of winter.

Snow! by Cynthia Rylant and Lauren Stringer–A girl and her grandmother are charmed by the snow that has blanketed their home overnight.  Beautiful prose and descriptions make this a lovely read.

Snow  Owl Moon

[(Snowflake Bentley )] [Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin] [Dec-2009]  Snowflakes in Photographs (Dover Pictorial Archive)

Snow by Uri Shulevitz–A Caldecott winner, this enchanting book shows the progression of snowfall in the city.  Landscapes are often open or wild in these types of books so a city was a fun change.  Also understanding the concept that when one snowflake keeps adding to another, it can make a big impact.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr–This book captivated me so much when I read it the first time.  The story of a girl and her father on the hunt for owls on a late evening walk through the snow.  Absolutely lovely.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Mary Azarian–Another Caldecott winner tells the true story of Wilson Bentley who studied and captured beautiful photographs of snowflakes.

Snowflakes in Photographs by W. A. Bentley–A beautiful nonfiction title showing photos of all the different types of snowflakes.  Little ones may struggle with amount and depth of the text, but the photographs alone are stunning.  A wonderful companion to Snowflake Bentley.

~Katherine

For other book lists, please click here.

You can also find more about Katherine at her blog, The Comfort Table!

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We don’t claim to have motherhood figured out. Actually quite the opposite. We’re a group of women who first and foremost love the Lord and want to honor Him with our lives and talents. And we decided that what better way for us to sort out this beautiful and messy thing called motherhood but to process it together in text messages? Our prayer is that as we share our real-life stories and honest experiences, every mom who visits our blog will receive tangible truth and experience real grace.

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