Using Children's Stories to Teach Important Lessons in Life   by Rich Herman

As a parent who deeply loves and cares about your children, you want to do all that you can to help teach and instruct them, and prepare them for life as an adult. You want them to have a well-rounded education, demonstrate good common sense, be honest and trustworthy, and be kind and respectful to others.

There are many different ways that you can teach and instruct your children. Just spending time with them and setting the right example is probably one of the best ways, however, other ways are effective too. This article deals primarily with children's stories, and explains how they can be used as effective teaching tools.

In addition to being fun and entertaining, children's stories are great for teaching many of life's important lessons. For example, children can be taught honesty, persistence, kindness, obedience, courage, the value of hard work, and many other lessons through stories. Some good examples of stories that teach some of these lessons are: "The Boy and the Robbers", "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", "Try, Try, Again", "A True Story About a Girl", "Jonah and the Whale", "David and Goliath" , "The Little Red Hen", and "Read and You Will Know".

There are many other stories that teach valuable lessons to our children. Lessons like handling money wisely, honoring our parents, and treating others with kindness and respect can be taught through stories. Here, are some good stories that drive home these important lessons: "The Whistle", "Going to Sea", and "Stories about Jefferson".

So much of what we learn is through reading and listening, so it is vitally important that your children master these two skills. When you read stories to your children or they hear stories by listening to audio CDs, they improve their attention span and listening skills. When kids master these skills early, they are more likely to become better learners. They also develop a greater interest in both books and reading. By listening, while following along in a book or printed story, your children will quickly learn to recognize more words and steadily increase their vocabulary.

Children's stories can also be great tools for stimulating your child's imagination. Many of the classic children's stories or fairy tales are great for doing this, and there are many different stories to choose from. Some good examples of these types of stories are: "Cinderella", "The Sleeping Beauty", and "The Emperor's New Clothes".

If you would like your children to gain a better appreciation for history, then children's stories can be great learning aids for developing this interest. There are many good historical stories to choose from, depending on the period of history that you are interested in. For example, "How George Washington Escaped a Trap", "The Midnight Ride", "The Young Scout", and "Washington's Last Battle" are just a few examples of some good stories if you want your children to learn more about the American Revolution.

Hopefully, this information has been helpful. Teaching children many of life's important lessons is often challenging, but can be both fun and rewarding. You'll be thrilled to see how quickly your kids can grasp new concepts, as you teach and instruct them. Remember, children's stories are just one of many tools you have available. Good luck!

About the Author

Rich Herman creates family-friendly websites and publishes a wide variety of children's stories. For free, printable Children's Stories visit his website: http://www.FamilyBooksandCDs.com