Confession is good for the soul, and kiddy stories too!

Sometimes I don’t read bedtime stories to my kids. There! I said it!

I actually used to do it all the time, but since my workload got bigger, I try to start as soon as dinner time is over, which means that my husband puts them to bed. He is not a bedtime story kind of person, opting instead to sing himself to sleep while hugging at least one of his sons.

On days when I don’t feel like physically reading a book, I will just make up a story for them, which they also really enjoy, you know how I would love to write children’s books an’ all!

So, for your reading pleasure, my latest toddler story…

One day the 3 brothers set out on an adventure into the forest (jungle, African safari, rain forest… they don’t know the difference!)

First they saw a snake, and the snake said “ssssss, where are you going?”
“On an adventure!” replied the brothers.
“Ohhh”, said the snake, “well be careful and don’t wake up the lion!”

So the brothers said bye to the snake and kept walking, walking, walking (and I demonstrate by walking my fingers over them while they giggle)

Then they saw a tiger, and the tiger said “roarrrrr, where are you going?”

“On an adventure!” replied the brothers.
“Ohhh”, said the tiger, “well be careful and look out for the monkeys!”

So the brothers said bye to the tiger and kept walking, walking, walking

Then they saw an elephant, and the elephant said “where are you going?”

“On an adventure!” replied the brothers.
“Ohhh”, said the elephant, “well be careful and walk very quietly past the lion!”

So the brothers said bye to the elephant and kept walking, walking, walking

Then they saw a parrot, and the parrot said “squaaaak, where are you going?”

“On an adventure!” replied the brothers.
“Ohhh”, said the parrot, “well be careful and don’t go near the monkeys, they are very naughty!”

So the brothers said bye to the parrot and kept walking, walking, walking

Then, they saw the lion… and the brothers were verrrry quiet, tip-toeing past the lion, and unexpectedly, a little, tiny, ity-bity mouse ran over the lion and he woke up!

The brothers got very scared and climbed up a close by tree!

When all of a sudden, something started tickling them (where I start tickling them), and tickling them, and the brothers could not stop laughing and laughing.

Then they saw the naughty monkeys were up in the tree!

Finally they escaped from the naughty monkeys and the big lion, and they ran home to tell their mommy all about their adventure!

Thoughts from Em

Salaam.

haha, that is Such a cute story, sounds like somthing my dad would make up for me . too bad i can’t re-live those days. wait maybe i can — when i get my own kids insha Allah…

Happy storytelling!

Thoughts from MonkeysMama

Very cool Shaz! We have a similar tradition in our house, except my story is about Mousey and his mis-adventures :D It would be neat to collect one story from mothers all over the world and compile them into a single blog. I don’t know if this has been done already. But from this blog parents could access a story from each part of the world. How cool would that be! It would be so interesting to read what other parents create in various part of the world.

Thoughts from wayfarer

Cute!  You don’t need to read books to your kids with stories like that.  And it’ll teach them that they too can make up things.  Good job momma!

Thoughts from Neena

The stories you create come from the heart and are so much more memorable than any children’s book.

Thoughts from sf

Shaz, I also want so much to write children’s stories someday inshallah. I had written some on my computer and then my computer crashed and I lost all of it.:(

Your story is so funny and kids just enjoy those. What I do with my oldest is make-up stories on what is happening around. Or, simply make a story and ask her what she would do should she fall under the same situation. Like how she shouldn’t go/follow anyone, or help find a lost puppy. Kids are very innocent and there are lots of bad pple out there. <span class="caps">BTW</span>, how do you read to your oldest alone, coz I find it so hard when my youngest(15 months)is with us. She grabs at the books or starts climbing up and we end up not reading. Sigh. So these days, I try(when I can) to read during the daytime.

Thoughts from shaz

thanks guys!

MonkeysMana, very cool idea!! if you’re interested we can do it together.

welcome Neena, very true.

sf, if you get to writing some more, please send a couple to me, I would <span class="caps">LOVE</span> to read them!!

Thoughts from Mona UmIbrahim

Salam Shaz, your story is so good mashaAllah, better than any of the ones i have thought up in the past 5 years! I usually get books from the library once a week to read to them throughout the week but since having the baby i’m resorting to my previous way of just making stories up. The rule at my house is 2 stories/books before bed – one for each child. They get to choose if they behaved well in bathtime/dressing/brusing teeth etc. If not then i choose.

Thoughts from Suroor

Cute! You have three very lucky boys, mA