Sparkle Stories

I love stories, storytelling, books...even movies with a good story. And I'm a mom, so I also enjoy finding ways to connect with my daughter. And as every parent knows, sometimes it's really nice to connect in quiet, cuddly ways. Admittedly I've been known to seek quiet cuddly time in front of the tv when I'm too tired to read (even though studies show tv doesn't really calm children down in the long run, it just slows their bodies down for the moment while their brain spins into overdrive: see articles here and here).


Then a friend of mine (whom I trust and respect as a mother) told me about Sparkle Stories. One day several months later I saw a post to download a free Sparkle Story, so I downloaded it to my podcast app. Soon afterward my daughter and I were in the car driving someplace new and I was having one of those "I need a bit of quiet space in my brain to think" moments. Then I remembered the stories on my podcast, so I asked her if she wanted to listen to a story. "Yes!" she was definitely interested, and then quietly mesmerized for the 15 minute Martin & Sylvia story. It was a good story with a talented storyteller. We talked about the story over the course of several days and soon I noticed Addi incorporating the story into her pretend play. It's always a marvel to witness our children's innermost thoughts and feelings while they play. And these are just the kinds of stories I want influencing my daughter - they embody the kinds of positive parent-child interactions I try to emulate myself.

Listening while mama cooks.


I was pleasantly surprised to find that 4 more Sparkle Stories appeared on my podcast, and Addi and I enjoyed each one. In fact, over the holidays we drove to visit family and she was content to listen to Sparkle Stories rather than watch a movie toward the last third of our 6-hour drive. Score!

Listening on the couch.

Sparkle Stores is an unfamiliar model to me. They are original audio stories available by subscription. We listened to the free ones available via the podcast (here) and website (here) for several weeks. Then Addi grew tired of hearing the same 5 stories and wanted new ones. We decided it would be enjoyable to incorporate a quiet Friday afternoon storytime to our weekly rhythm, so I subscribed to the Martin & Sylvia series (Addi's favorite).

 

Enjoy!

 

Amy

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