to want to curb DD's interminable stories?

[LollyG]

She's nearly 10, and ever since she could talk she has made up stories - about fairies, princesses, her favourite tv/film characters, Henry VIII - whatever her current obsession is! It's fantastic that she has such a wonderful imagination, and I DON'T want to squash it, but...

she insists on telling her stories (not writing them down), and gets extremely upset when her chosen audience (me/DH/DS) doesn't want to listen, or doesn't have the time at the moment. It's particularly a problem when her brother won't listen, as she's inclined to attack him when she gets cross, but I do have a certain amount of sympathy for him, as she can go on for hours making up more & more stuff!

How do I tell her that she can't expect people to listen to her the whole time, without making her feel that the stories are a bad thing?

Can you get her to record them, and make a game of it? ie using a phone etc.?

I don't know the answer I'm afraid, but I'd be interested! DS2 (7) has a friend who is just the same. This boy has a 'vivid imagination' (at least that's the polite way to describe it!). The only problem is that this boy's 'stories' are borderline 'believeable', and DS2 tends to believe everything he says (!) so we are forever saying to him, "no, unicorns DON'T exist - not even in China", "No, it's unlikely that garden ants will run all over you and chew your body up" etc etc

Why don't you encourage her to write them down? She may be a budding author!

Might be worth a try - if I can find the technology. I think she likes having the audience, though.

I've been trying to get her to write/type them - could be the next JK Rowling, so I don't want to discourage her!

Does she also like acting? Because if she could record them, she could act them out later, with herself as narrator IYSWIM.

I have one who is a bit like this,I am afraid that at 10 she needs to be told straight that she can ask epole to listen but she cannot force thenm to and it is bad manners to expect that.

However I would also try suggesting installments,eg I can listen to 15 mins now and then could we have 15 mins at bath time and 15 mins tomorrow.alos I would talk to ds about he can mange the requets without it descending into chaos.

How about typing them up and illustrating them it would be a pity to crush her creativity but she is oild enough to understand that she cannot be the centre of attention on demand

She sounds a lot like my 9yo DD.

I agree with floaty that she does need to know that, lovely as her stories are, she can't expect everyone to want to listen to them all the time.

My advice would be to buy her a really lovely notebook for her specifically for her creative writing. DD2 loves hers and writes endlessly.

An alternative if she's not keen on writing is to get her to record them on a cassette recorder or on something altogether more modern

Well when you find a solution please tell me

DD has now discovered that it's easier to write them down. She did on Saturday morning. A little tale about what the cat was doing in her bedroom - far better as an exercise in spelling and creative writing!

Thanks for all the suggestions - I'll try offering her a cassette recorder (I think we've still got one that works somewhere!), or a pretty notebook (though she hates writing - mind you, the practice would do her good!).

We do do installments (chapters), but that doesn't always work! I'll remind DS to suggest that to her when he's fed up (before they both lose their tempers & attempt to kill each other)!

Birthday/Christmas present?