The power of the story

When I was a kid, my dad insisted when it was his turn to take me to bed, that he would make up a story in his head, as opposed to reading one of my Enid Blytons or Roald Dahl books. I remember them so lovingly, the baby rabbits, lambs and donkeys that always needed a kind little girls help and they happy endings returning to the field to play with their friends.

Now as a parent myself, I understand really what he was doing. He was controlling the story, being in charge of the narrative, calling the shots when it came to the story. If he was reading a book, he would have been tied to the chapters, like my mam was, “just one more chapter, please!!”. While if he stuck to his own stories, he was able to be in control.

He could keep the story simple, to avoid too many side-tracking questions.

He could add another layer of intrigue if I wasn’t quite tired enough yet.

He could hurry towards the ending when I was.

These are all aspects that, as a parent now myself, I really appreciate.

However, he was also able to tailor the message to me. He was able to make it relatable to me, and put me right at the centre of the story. He was able to use the story to address my issues and worries.

Life on a farm can be particularly harrowing when you are a young child; you learn from a very young age that where there is life, there is also death. Even the welfare of each animal can come with a lot of challenges. By taking the time to address these in a way that was digestible for me, that offered me the experience in an understandable way, that (most importantly) created space for me to think and question and have a conversation about these things, I was able to start to wrap my growing mind around these topics.

It can be difficult to create spaces for big topics and difficult subjects, especially if you yourself are caught up in all the action. Sometimes it can just feel easier to get the work done, and update people afterwards. However, in times of big change, it will always be better to take your team on that journey with you, address their concerns along the way.

I promise you, when done right, everyone will sleep better at night.