Bedtime story

From ArticleWorld

Bedtime stories, which are found in many cultures, are short fictional stories that adults narrate to children when they are in bed before they go to sleep. The rationale behind bedtime stories lies in the generally acknowledged human affinity for stories. When children hear a story with a definite plot line and a few distinct characters, they relax and drift into the story. Since they are already tucked in, they find it easy to disconnect other stimuli, and the since bedtime stories are often told in a deep, soothing tone, children fund them a a relaxing prelude to sleep. Telling bedtime stories is also a way for parents to get quality one-on-one time with their children, and the sharing of stories is also considered to bind the storyteller and listeners emotionally. Many parents choose bedtime stories to impart values, morals, and guides to life experiences to their children.

A bedtime story can either be made up or be derived from popular cultural folk and fairy tales. They tend to be very short and usually have happy endings so as not to upset the child. Many parents like to read about bedtime stories to their children from childrens' books, and many children in turn like longer stories, often adventure tales of stories of quests, that are narrated over a pediod of time, ending in a cliffhanger every night.