The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Grandmother’s tales are trailing off

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Friday, May 16, 2008
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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Grandmother’s tales are trailing off

Meera Srinivasan

Spread of TV and computer games has almost displaced the tradition

— PHOTO: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN

RARE SIGHT: A grandmother and a group of children at a story-telling session.

CHENNAI: “Once upon a time, there was a king…” For most grown-ups, listening to a grandma’s tale like this on a nice moon-lit night is, perhaps, one of the most cherished memories of childhood. But for many children today, being part of a story-telling session could be an unfamiliar experience.

With television, computer games and possibly even the Internet having almost displaced such pastimes, summer vacations sans stories are becoming common. However, experts feel that children who don’t get to listen to stories are denied a sound exercise to develop various faculties of the brain .

A paediatrician at the Institute of Child Health, P. Venkataraman, says listening to stories should be an integral part of growing up for every child. “While listening to stories, they tend to ask a lot of questions. In the process, they enhance their memory power, understanding and ability to reason.”

Intake of food

He notes that the story-telling exercise usually ensured the child ate well, while listening to the story. “The television and computer games do more harm than good,” he adds.

Valliammai Shanmuganathan, who has three grandchildren, feels that telling stories to children was an easy way to get them to eat healthy food. “My grandson hates green vegetables. But I can make him eat them in exchange for one of his favourite stories.”

Jayamani Ramanujam usually tells stories on Lord Rama or Krishna. “Sometimes I make up my own stories and try and incorporate values in them,” she says.

Children who are used to listening to stories not only acquire the skill to translate words and sounds into visuals but also learn to look for consistency in content. “My little granddaughter is usually the first to find out if I changed the name of a character or attributed a different trait to the character,” Ms. Ramanujam says. Subbulakshmi Bharath, a retired teacher, says if running around and playing took care of the children’s physical well-being, listening to stories took care of their mental growth and development.

“The stories that come on CDs these days don’t give children any scope to think. When a child listens to a story, he can decide how the king should look, what he should wear, what noise the demon makes… But in stories available on the computer, the visuals come along.”

“Not all children live with grandparents to have an opportunity to listen to these stories. And those who do, may not find time between their hundred different classes,” she adds.

“Still some hope”

Director of the World Storytelling Institute Eric Miller feels the internet gives some hope for those who wish to be part of the story-telling-listening experience.

“The Internet is two way and interactive. Therefore, you can still tell stories to others. It could lead to the revival of the traditional story-telling practice,” he notes.

The television, however, is a one-way medium and does not allow much interaction. And children who have listened to stories once cannot give up the fascination for it easily. The World Storytelling Institute is seeing many eager parents participating in story-telling workshops it holds periodically. “Adults telling these stories have to improvise as children will always ask for changes to be made in the stories,” says Mr. Miller.

While he acknowledges that story-telling in households is becoming uncommon, he is certain that the practice will never die.

“As long as people speak to each other, they will always have stories to share. It could even be something about what they saw on TV.”

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