Today we hear from the heart of my home, my lovely and amazing wife, Gina Smith. She wrote this a while back, but it kind of ties in with some of the recent flavor (especially my last RR post). Gina is a wife, a mom, an editor, a cook, a manager, a writer, a mentor, a counselor, and the list goes on and on. She not only brings a gentle, quiet spirit of godliness into our home, but adds to the beauty of our (basically very common, average) life with her creative perspective. She is a person I admire greatly and love deeply. I hope you enjoy her post. As those close to us know, and this post is reflective of this, she is far more practical a person than I am. She blogs somewhat regularly (just now one of her other jobs is taking priority) at Working Title. -sds
You may wonder what it’s like around our house as far as storytelling goes. A lot of parents say that they start to worry when things get quiet around their houses. But when things are quiet here, I can almost guarantee that the kids are either reading books, or doing something creative like drawing. And while we have our share of rowdy play, (usually instigated by daddy) it’s just as likely that the three (now four!) musketeers are engulfed in their own little world of stories. I’m not sure I even know about all the story lines and characters involved. It’s a thing they do with their dad, often while I’m trying to take a nap or get dinner. As a result, we have some very active imaginations in our family.
Since this is the blog of the writer in our family, and I am only a guest, I decided do a post similar to what I would do on my own blog, only make it pertain to writing. So here are some ways to encourage your little ones to get in on the storytelling action –to learn to enjoy writing.
Since our kids were tiny, they’ve always had writing tools, usually crayons and a little notepad for scribbling and eventually doodling and practicing letters. I think the first story that our little girl “wrote” was about a bee and a butterfly who found a cookie that they shared. She drew the pictures, and we wrote captions. (At the time it was just so we wouldn’t forget how cute it was!)
Looking back, I can see that it was the beginning of a great exercise. Here is another excellent idea called What Color Was Your Day? for even the smallest of writers. It comes from a blog that I have recently discovered called The Write Start, which I now peruse very often for new and excellent ideas about writing with the kids.
Another great tool for your little writers and or illustrators is the bare book.
Check out this site where you can order books, puzzles, maps, calendars and other items, all blank and ready for little creative minds to spill it all right onto the page!
Any of you parents familiar with the ol’ Magna Doodle? It’s another great way for little minds and little fingers to wax creative. I think both of our kids have learned or are learning to write their letters on it. I have even taken pictures of some of the the things the kids have written and drawn on that faithful toy. 
Of course reading to children is one of the best ways to interest them in stories. It’s something we do quite a bit of, but could always do more. We love books on tape and online. And, let’s face it: as a mother of three, one of which is a newborn, I sometimes rely on videos and dvds to entertain my children. (gasp!) I try not to lean too heavily on this resource, but sometimes it is just so handy. But don’t despair! There are lots of resources you can find that aren’t just mindless drivel. Two of our favorites are the
Beatrix Potter series (the original, simple illustrations, narrated by a pleasant British chap) and, of course,
good ol’ Dr. Suess. I found this one at a yard sale, so they’re a little harder to come by, but check your library, or even get a used copy really cheap on Ebay or Amazon.
These are just a few suggestions. The list could go on and on, but I don’t want to overstay my welcome here at Maple Mountain. So, thanks for reading and I hope this will get the wheels turning. Feel free to share other ideas that you practice in your homes. We would love to hear about them!
