This has been a beloved story, asked for over and over by the children, for more than a decade.

​Your Child’s Personal Bedtime Story
 By Heather Young 
As a bedtime story for your child, recollect the activities of his/her day in a story format. 

Begin the story with descriptions of your child, the main character. “Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved to collect rocks and climb trees. She lived with her mama, her daddy, and her baby sister in a little blue house with a big oak tree in the front yard….etc.” 

Continue with a retelling of the story of your child’s day, including as many details big and small about what happened that day as you can recall. Amplify the goodness that the day held. Your child will have fun adding what she remembers and correcting you when your re-telling does not match her recollection. 

End the story with what is happening now, e.g., the child is safe and warm and is getting tucked into bed with snuggles and hugs by her mama/daddy who loves her more than anything in the whole wide world.

Children love to be the main character of a story. It makes them feel seen and heard. In fact, no matter our age, ordering the events of the day by recalling them at bedtime and feeling the fact that we are here, at the end of our day, safe and warm in bed, with all that we need in this moment, is a soothing way to end the day.

​A Story to read aloud...

Shining Shell, by Connie Manson © 2012

In the ocean blue, near the shore, the waves rolled this-a way, and they rolled that a-way. A sea shell tumbled and tossed in the water. It rolled and rolled and then came to a stop on the sandy ocean bottom. The sun was shining brightly up above, and little rays of sunshine danced in the water. A tiny blue fish came darting by, swimming up and swimming down, and looking all around. It saw the sea shell lying there. It looked to be as big as a smooth, shining palace! It swam up to the sea shell and called “Shining shell, shining shell, who dwells here?” But no one answered, because no one was inside. “Then I shall live here,” it said, and it made a cozy home inside the shell.

Along came goldie the fish. It saw the sea shell and called out,
“Shining shell, shining shell, who dwells here?”
“I do, tiny blue, oh-so-true, and who are you?”
“I am goldie the fish, who darts and dips.”
“Come inside, and make yourself a home here.”

And so the two of them began to live together. After a time, a little starfish came crawling by. It saw the sea shell and called out, “Shining shell, shining shell, who dwells here?”

“I do, goldie the fish, who darts and dips.”
“I do, tiny blue, oh-so-true, and who are you?”
“I am sandy the starfish who carries a wish.”
“Come inside, and make yourself a home here.”

And so the three of them began to live together.  Along came a sea turtle, paddling by. He saw the sea shell and called out, “Shining shell, shining shell, who dwells here?”

“I do, sandy the starfish who carries a wish.”
“I do, goldie the fish, who darts and dips.”
“I do, tiny blue, oh-so-true, and who are you?”
“I am snappy the turtle who paddles and flips.”
“Come inside, and make yourself a home here.”
​
And so the four of them began to live together.

Suddenly before them darted a little sea horse. He was in a great hurry. He saw the sea shell and cried, “I am horse of the sea, please rescue me, for an octopus, he chases me!”

“Let’s bring him inside--a shelter we’ll be!”

Little horse of the sea was safely tucked inside. The octopus came gliding by. He looked this-a-way, he looked that-a-way. But nothing could he spy, save a shining shell that sat nearby.

Said the octopus, “How could that creature disappear so fast?”  Oh-so-quietly the little friends sat, until at last, the octopus went gliding away.

And from that day on, the little friends lived ever safe and sound, in their shining home on the sandy ground.

By Susan Perrow © 2020    www.susanperrow.com

This story was written for use with young children (suggested ages 3-5 years) who are required to stay home during the current C-19 pandemic, or who have had their freedom severely modified (e.g. perhaps they can attend school but can’t attend special assemblies, festivals, parties or events). The song at the end has been left open for teachers and parents to create more verses with ideas from the children. The story can be changed/edited to suit different situations – e.g. mother tree could be father tree or grandmother or grandfather tree, or you may want to omit the part about ‘gnome school’. The main character could also be changed (e.g. instead of using a gnome, the story could be about a mouse stuck in his little house, or a bird that must stay and rest in the nest).

Go to Susan Perrow's stories webpage:  susanperrow.com/stories
Go to Susan Perrow's story: The Little Gnome Who Had to Stay Home