Have you noticed that during holiday dinners, folks often start telling family stories? Do you find that as your children get older, they become more and more interested in hearing those same stories over and over, especially if the stories involve them?

 Scientific evidence shows that children who hear stories do better in school and become better writers. Participating in storytelling has even better benefits. So how can you encourage storytelling in your family?

 Many years ago when my daughter was about six or seven, our family was having dinner together when her brother said one of those annoying big brother things, and she exploded. She stormed out of the room and closed herself away in her bedroom, head under her pillow.

 I waited a few minutes for her to calm down before I dared join her in her room. She was in no mood to have me say anything reassuring or even understanding. So I sat on the edge of her bed, pondering what to do. Strewn around her room was a collection of trolls. Remember those half-ugly, half-adorable hard rubber dolls with wild hair and exaggerated faces? She loved them!

 Now, I knew that the words “once upon a time” contained magic and power. But I had never made up once-upon-a-time stories. Still, it was evident my daughter was too mad to talk to me, so I took a breath and said, “Once upon a time there was a troll.”

 She didn’t look at me, but there was a distinct hiccough in her wailing. She wanted to hear the next sentence. “Um. The troll lived in a drawer of a little girl’s room. In fact, there was a whole family of trolls that lived in that drawer. At night they would come out and swing on the curtains.”

 And just like that, my daughter began to shove the pillow, inch by inch, off her head. By the time I finished the story, her anger had dissipated and she was ready for cuddling.

 The next night before bed my daughter wanted another Troll Story. And the next night, another one. Soon, she decided that the Trolls should meet the little girl so she could join their adventures, and then her Blankie became a character in the stories. He always came along and often became the hero.

 These stories went on for years. She’s grown up now, and neither of us remembers much about the plots, but we do remember sharing endless Troll Stories. Sometimes she’d choose to contribute to the story; sometimes she just wanted to listen.

The stories offered us entertainment when we were waiting in lines or when she was trying to go to sleep, but they were also a way to sidle up to problems when Trolls had things happen to them that were remarkably similar to situations that my daughter was encountering.

 Here are some of the things that worked for us. Give them a try—you’ll be delighted how readily your children pick up a love of story.

 • Make it a habit to share stories every night before bed—and any other time of day you can manage. It doesn’t matter if you read them or tell them.

 • When you decide to try telling your own made-up stories, the simplest starting point is a toy or blankie that your child loves. Let that item become a character who does an everyday activity, something familiar that your child would do.

 • Once you’ve gotten started storytelling, find places to ask your child what should happen next or what new character might appear. If nothing else, this takes the pressure off you as teller to come up with fresh ideas!

 • If your child has had a rough day or if she or he is having problems with friends or at school, incorporate the problem into the story. You never have to say that’s what you’re doing. It becomes a gentle but effective way to suggest ways to cope.

 • Be prepared that your child may want to hear the same story again. If you can’t remember what you created, get the child to help.

 • Once you’ve established the habit of storytelling, you and your child will find it’s a companion and an entertainment no matter where you are.

 • And then…you can start in on an entirely new world of stories about things you did as a child.

 Storytelling is a great opportunity to spend time with your children and grandchildren. And one last thing … cuddles and hugs are the perfect happily ever after.

Lynn Ruehlmann is a professional storyteller. “Mischief! Adventures of a Daydreamy Child” is her third and most recent CD with six original stories based on incidents from her childhood. Listening to these stories of real life is a great way to prompt your own memories of incidents that have happened in your family that would make good storytelling. “Mischief!” is available from www.cdbaby.com, www.cascadingstories.com or by calling 757-642-6813.