Does anyone tell stories to their children?

[FlamingoBingo]

By 'tell stories', I mean learn them and recite them, rather than read them from a book?

A friend of mine ran a workshop recently about storytelling as a tool to help children learn things (life things, not school things), which I couldn't go on, but the other evening, when my 9 year old was upset, I suddenly realised I remembered the whole of The Three Sillies story and told it to her (as we were talking about when you make yourself upset imagining horrible things that could happen). She loved it! My 7 year old was listening in and loved it too - both asked for another one...but I didn't remember any more.

It spurred me on, though, and I learnt The Apple Dumpling last night and told them that - I have plans to learn a new one every day to tell them each evening, and have been rather amazed at my memory. It's great fun to be telling them a story and actually seeing their reactions because I'm talking to them, not reading to them IYSWIM.

Does anyone else do this? Can we do some resource-sharing, and tip-sharing? I'd love, for example, some with a bit of humour in, as that really keeps them engaged, but also stories that show them something about how to live. And traditional tales from around the world appeal to me.

like others, I don't memorise stories but my dd (6) loves it when I make up a story at bedtime often asking for a "mummy story" rather than something read out of one of her books. They are usually silly and fun though...I'm no JK Rowling when it comes to making a story!

Right I'll give it a go this weekend. Might practice on DD2 14 months, before launching myself on DD1 - 4

I used to tell dd aged 8-9 a story about a little girl (Liza Lou)who lived a magical world , a new episode each night. I have to say it nearly killed me. But was incredible was how she remembered all the details when I had entirely forgotten them and she would correct me on various aspects, no no mum the green frog lived in the second tunnel not the glass cage

I felt a bit sad I hadn't written it down - it was obviously a masterpiece.

Other than that I try to tell stories about family life, even tales of what happened here and now today, little dramatic stories. I think it gives children a bit of perspective of how things happen, why things happen, what should of happened, to take disasters with a pinch of salt. Also they like the idea we were once little children.

I think I am very influenced by Laura Ingalls Wilder/My Naughty Little Sister models - that sort of story telling. Magical story telling is more taxing, but at least you can make it up as you go along.

My sister once said something to be me about "fibs". I think there is a distinction between telling something in a frame, and pretending it is true. I think children like to know they are in a frame, and love you creating an imaginary world for them, but they hate deceit. So if you said there is a pony on the doorstep, that would be a fib, whereas if you said, let's pretend there is a pony on the doorstep and then took the story from there that is great fun..

Story telling can be used in a quite a casual way to distract children from tantrums too...so you can often say to change the atmosphere..."I remember the time when I used to throw my food on the floor, and then something very odd happened...." They will be spellbound

Wow! Thanks for all the fascinating and helpful responses

To the poster who said 'doesn't everyone?', well I didn't. I used to read to them, of course, but my 9yo doesn't like being read to at all, and I never believed I had the capacity for story-telling. I've sat in groups hearing a skilled storyteller weave his tale while the children in front of him sit utterly enraptured, watching their faces as they smile, are shocked, are scared and are amused, and just thought - wow! What a skill! I could never do that!

I am now at a point in my life where I never tell myself I can't do something, and just go for it, and it's so much fun. I don't have a problem with making up stories myself, but I'm fascinated by the layers and layers of metaphor and meaning that make up traditional tales and they just pull me more at the moment.