How to bring about a behavioral shift for your Hyperactive child?

‘Express to Impress’ - Series

?"Stories have power. They delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate and challenge. They help us understand. They imprint a picture on our minds. Consequently, stories often pack more punch than sermons.”?- Janet Litherland

A hyperactive child Aarav, 5 years is preoccupied with devouring his new storybook gifted by me after one session on his super progress. While he is doing that I have a conversation with Anu, his mom who is worried about his teacher's remarks just before the summer vacation starts.?

We just had a session on the introduction of a bedtime routine for Aarav and how?creating a storytelling ritual with your hyperactive kid (in fact all growing toddlers to kids) helps in multiple ways to direct the behavioral shifts.

Here it goes (name changed)

?Me: Anu, I want to talk to you about creating a special storytelling ritual with your child. What do you think about it?

?Anu: Yes, definitely. I'm surprised that Aarav is sitting and is engaged in a productive way now. How is he able to sit and focus now, on the book? He does not even sit for 5 mins still in the classroom. He is jumping everywhere and so distracted….. (sighing heavily, she continues smiling) I am always looking for new ways to connect with my child and make reading and studying more enjoyable and fun.

?Me: Great! The first step is to create a special reading space. Create with Aarav a cozy nook - like making a tent with a bedspread, throwing in some cushions, pillows, a colorful or his favorite shrug or blankets, soft star lighting and so on. Make it a place your child wants to spend time in.

?Anu: That sounds like a good idea. We have a little corner in our living room that could work well.

?Me: Perfect! Next, choose a regular time each day or week when you can sit down together and read. Involve Aarav in marking a calendar for the days in the calendar. You can also set and schedule an alarm for the same. He will look forward to the storytelling time, as both of you will be doing it together.?

You can talk and decide on a good time for you too - as this would be a rejuvenating time for you. You can read right before bed or on a lazy weekend afternoon.

?Anu: I like that, will be getting some quality time with Aarav.

?Me: Exactly. And letting your child choose the books is also important. A favorite story they love to hear again and again, or a new adventure they're excited to discover, letting Aarav choose the book gives them a sense of ownership over the experience.?

You can explore and plan for the next set of books together. This also helps in making him money-conscious and delayed gratification. Also, as they stick to the pre-decided timelines and set goals for the future leads them into a habit of discipline.?

?Anu: That makes so much sense. Aarav loves to pick out books so I think he would enjoy that.

?Me: Yes it is! And get creative, use props and costumes, or even act out scenes from the book. This not only makes the experience more fun, but it also helps your child better understand concepts, values, expressions and many more elements. One of the star benefits is also memory enhancement as he will remember the story with its lessons.

?Anu: That is really great! Focus and memory are so pivotal to success. I never thought about acting out parts of the story. That could be a lot of fun.

?Me: Absolutely.?Finally, make it a bonding experience. Use the time to talk about the story, ask questions and share your own thoughts and feelings. This not only helps develop language and cognitive skills but also strengthens the parent-child bond.

?Anu: I can see how that would be important. I'm looking forward to trying this with my child.

?Me: That's great to hear! By creating a storytelling ritual with Aarav, you're not only fostering a love of reading but also creating memories aka Memory Bank that will last a lifetime.?

I am curious to know how it all goes.

?‘Ask me Anything’ - DM you questions about Storytelling and the advantages of behavioral shifts and developing Emotional Intelligence.?

??Launching next month - Super Masterclasson Storytelling Training - ‘Express to Impress’ - upcoming super mastermind - "Express to Impress" - World Class Storytellers will be presenting a 6-weeks hands-on training course on Storytelling and Public Speaking !*

# Will share the benefits of storytelling as an experience in the next post.

# More on Memory Bank in the upcoming posts.