Bedtime story
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Abedtime storyis a traditional form ofstorytelling,where astoryis told to achildatbedtimeto prepare the child forsleep.The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".[1]
The term "bedtime story" was coined byLouise Chandler Moultonin her 1873 book,Bed-time Stories.[2]The scholar Robin Bernstein traces how the "ritual of an adult reading out loud to a child at bedtime formed mainly in the second half of the nineteenth century and achieved prominence in the early twentieth century in tandem with the rising belief that soothing rituals were necessary for children at the end of the day. The ritual resulted from and negotiated diverse phenomena: not only the growth of thepicture bookindustry but also the spread of isolated sleeping in which children occupied individual bedrooms, the expansion of electricity and heating systems that shifted evening reading beyond the hearth to other domestic spaces, and a bevy of newly crownedpsychological expertswho persuaded parents that children needed bedtime rituals. "By the middle of the twentieth century", Bernstein writes, "the ritual had acquired acute symbolic meaning. Parents’ reading to children at bedtime became a metonym for proper parenting and an idealizedmiddle classchildhood. "[3]
Reading bedtime stories yields multiple benefits for parents and children alike. The fixed routine of a bedtime story before sleeping can improve the child'sbrain development,language acquisition,andproblem solvingskills.[4]The storyteller-listener relationship creates an emotional bond between the parent and the child.[4]Due to "the strength of the imitative instinct" of a child, the parent and the stories that they tell act as a model for the child to follow.[1]
Bedtime stories are also useful for teaching the child abstract virtues such assympathy,altruism,andself-control,as most children are said to be "naturally sympathetic when they have experienced or can imagine the feelings of others".[1]Thus, bedtime stories can be used to discuss darker subjects such asdeathandracism.[4]As the bedtime stories broaden in theme, the child "will broaden in their conception of the lives and feelings of others".[1]
Adult versions in the form ofaudio bookshelp adults fall asleep without finishing the story.[5]
Western culture
[edit]Within the Western culture, many parents read bedtime stories to their kids for assuring peaceful sleep. Usually, this habit is considered as a way to build good relationship between parents and the kids along with the generation of other benefits. The type of stories and the timing may differ on cultural basis. Inwestern culture,you may find different categories of bedtime stories.
Cultural depiction
[edit]Like any other culture, western bedtime stories are full of the traditional value and stories from the predominant sub-cultures. Mentioning ofcowboysandhippielifestyle is a prominent form of verbalstorytelling.
New authors
[edit]With the ease of publishing and color printing, new authors have become part of the story writing industry where they write new, creative and picture-related stories to keep the audience engaged as presented in a series of children's storybooks written byArthur S. Maxwell.
European culture
[edit]TheEuropean culturehas a vast collection of bedtime stories.[6]They are not only read in the European region, but they are famous throughout the world. This helps the kids to develop their minds and enhance their capability. The European culture of bedtime stories is based onAesop's fablesorGreek fableswhich are loved all around the world by both the adults and children.
Aesop's fables
[edit]The Aesop's fables are a collection offablesthat were written by a Greek storyteller named Aesop. These fables include different animal characters, providing amorallesson or a great piece of wisdom for the young minds to understand. As these fables include morals, they are read to children in modern times to teach themethicaland moral values.[7]
The Aesop's Fables originally belong to the oral tradition andGreek people.After thirty years of Aesop's death, these fables were collected and compiled. The work of Aesop was in Latin and Greek which was later translated to different languages, giving more fame to theses fables.
Different Aesop's fables
[edit]There is a vast collection ofAesop's fablesfor children to read at bedtime. A lot of them are very famous and very much loved by the children as well as the parents. Some of the many Aesop's Fables are:
- The Ant and the Grasshopper
- The Boy Who Cried Wolf
- The Cock, the Dog and the Fox
- The Dog and Its Reflection
What's there in Aesop's fables
[edit]The fables help kids as well as adults to learn the lessons in an effective manner. The engagement and emotional impacts from those stories are more powerful than dry teaching. Therefore, the children gain moreethical valuesfrom these types of stories.
Contemporary bedtime stories
[edit]In the modern age some adults also use bedtime stories to fall asleep. Often,mobile applicationsare used for this purpose.[8]
Scientific research
[edit]Being read bedtime stories increases children's vocabularies.[9]
References
[edit]- ^abcdDickson, Marguerite Stockman (1919).Vocational Guidance for Girls.p. 90–93.
- ^Bernstein, Robin (2020).""'You Do It!': Going-to-Bed Books and the Scripts of Children's Literature "".PMLA.135(5): 880.
- ^Bernstein, Robin (2020).""'You Do It!': Going-to-Bed Books and the Scripts of Children's Literature "".PMLA.135(5): 878.
- ^abcJones, Patti (2011)."The Brainy Benefits of Bedtime Stories".Parents Magazine.
- ^Purdon, Nick; Palleja, Leonardo (27 January 2019)."Canada's top 'sleep writer' reveals how he puts you under (can you stay awake?)".CBC News.Retrieved1 February2019.
- ^Noor, Nauman."Bedtime Stories To Read".5 Minute Bedtime.Retrieved20 July2020.
- ^Matilda, Satire."The real morals behind Aesop's fables".The Daily Star.RetrievedMarch 21,2019.
- ^"I'm an adult and these bedtime stories are lulling me to sleep".TODAY.com.Retrieved2021-12-17.
- ^Montag, Jessica L.; Jones, Michael N.; Smith, Linda B. (2015-09-01)."The Words Children Hear: Picture Books and the Statistics for Language Learning".Psychological Science.26(9): 1489–1496.doi:10.1177/0956797615594361.ISSN0956-7976.PMC4567506.PMID26243292.