A quick DaddyTeller moment:
Good day at the Mesa Storytelling festival yesterday. Met a Dad there who had purchased the www.daddyteller.com Ebook and had already told one of the stories to his preschool kid. The Dad said how much he liked the breakdown of the book all the way to telling him what to do with his hands during the story.
When he told the preschool son in his arms that I was the guy who wrote the "donkey story," the child was completey unimpressed wtih me, but totally in love with his Daddy. As.It.Should.Be.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
StoryRise Adult Storytelling Podcast #1 Posted
Free audio stories for adults from StoryRise events. (Click here for the podcast.) We're really happy to kick off our new Storyrise podcast. Leading us off is storyteller Sandy Oglesby from Phoenix, AZ. She tells the story of "One Wish," an Irish folktale with a twisted path and ending. Enjoy. Don't forget to join us at Storyrise on the 3rd Saturday of each month in the West Valley of the greater Phoenix, AZ area. Sponsored in part by Storyteller.net and the DaddyTeller™ Ebook.
More Podcasts will be posted soon from StoryRise. We have a huge backlog of stories to share with you. Subscribe to our updates at the StoryRise.com site and/or follow StoryRise on Twitter at @storyrise.
More Podcasts will be posted soon from StoryRise. We have a huge backlog of stories to share with you. Subscribe to our updates at the StoryRise.com site and/or follow StoryRise on Twitter at @storyrise.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Video: Fathers Need Communication Advice
Here is an adaptation of the article below this one, but set to a short video.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
3 Things Dads Can Do to Communicate Better with Their Children
The world needs fathers. Study after study confirms the important role of the father in a family. Let's improve your father-children relationship. Here are three quick and easy ways for Dads to relate better to their children.
1. Put down the distractions.
If you want to communicate better with your young kids, then learn to pay attention. Listening to a child while you channel surf, web surf or refrigerator surf is not really listening. Put down the remote or the mouse or close the 'fridge door. Pay attention to what your child is saying. By the way, this rule changes a bit when your kids, especially your sons, are older. A great way to get your teens to talk is do a shared activity together. You'll notice that I used the word "shared" in that sentence, right?
2. Look your child in the eye.
All the media your child is exposed to shares one thing in common: all of it has your child's eyes and ears glued upon it. When you talk to your child, do you have their eye-contact? One of the greatest gifts we give to our children is looking them in the eye. Let them see you seeing them. Put down the storybook and tell them a story. Involve them in the tale. Advertisers are not hesitant to look your kids in the eye. You should do no less.
3. Make your child's needs the priority.
As more and more dads, thankfully, become much more active in parenting, I read more about fathers who do not like kiddie things. I have read several posts, for example, about how some stay-at-home dads don't like kid's music and wish to substitute rock artists for kids musicians.
Although some of these daddy-blogger posts are written tongue-in-cheek, there is an underlying issue: kid things are not designed for dads. They are designed for kids. Don't be in a hurry to bypass the usefulness of all the kiddie toys and noise that is out there.
The "Wheels On The Bus" song is driving you crazy? Let it make you crazy and let your kids listen to it a hundred times a day if they want. Raising four kids in our house, I can assure you that this phase doesn't last long. Very soon, you'll be dealing with the wheels on the car which is under your teen's control as it is driven from your home.
The repetition of songs and stories is important for your child's development and even future skills for learning and school. Be focused on what your kids need, not what you want.
In reality, all three of these ideas are really expressing the same need: Dads, give your kids the gift of your attention. You don't need to be father of the year. You need to be the best daddy you can to your kids.
**********
Sean Buvala, father of four and a professional storyteller, is the author of the book "DaddyTeller™: Be a Hero to Your Kids and Teach Them What's Really Important by Telling Them One Simple Story at a Time." You can read more about his Daddy/Child improving work by visiting http://www.daddyteller.com.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
1. Put down the distractions.
If you want to communicate better with your young kids, then learn to pay attention. Listening to a child while you channel surf, web surf or refrigerator surf is not really listening. Put down the remote or the mouse or close the 'fridge door. Pay attention to what your child is saying. By the way, this rule changes a bit when your kids, especially your sons, are older. A great way to get your teens to talk is do a shared activity together. You'll notice that I used the word "shared" in that sentence, right?
2. Look your child in the eye.
All the media your child is exposed to shares one thing in common: all of it has your child's eyes and ears glued upon it. When you talk to your child, do you have their eye-contact? One of the greatest gifts we give to our children is looking them in the eye. Let them see you seeing them. Put down the storybook and tell them a story. Involve them in the tale. Advertisers are not hesitant to look your kids in the eye. You should do no less.
3. Make your child's needs the priority.
As more and more dads, thankfully, become much more active in parenting, I read more about fathers who do not like kiddie things. I have read several posts, for example, about how some stay-at-home dads don't like kid's music and wish to substitute rock artists for kids musicians.
Although some of these daddy-blogger posts are written tongue-in-cheek, there is an underlying issue: kid things are not designed for dads. They are designed for kids. Don't be in a hurry to bypass the usefulness of all the kiddie toys and noise that is out there.
The "Wheels On The Bus" song is driving you crazy? Let it make you crazy and let your kids listen to it a hundred times a day if they want. Raising four kids in our house, I can assure you that this phase doesn't last long. Very soon, you'll be dealing with the wheels on the car which is under your teen's control as it is driven from your home.
The repetition of songs and stories is important for your child's development and even future skills for learning and school. Be focused on what your kids need, not what you want.
In reality, all three of these ideas are really expressing the same need: Dads, give your kids the gift of your attention. You don't need to be father of the year. You need to be the best daddy you can to your kids.
**********
Sean Buvala, father of four and a professional storyteller, is the author of the book "DaddyTeller™: Be a Hero to Your Kids and Teach Them What's Really Important by Telling Them One Simple Story at a Time." You can read more about his Daddy/Child improving work by visiting http://www.daddyteller.com.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
The Elevator Speech is (still) Dead
I think the entire idea of developing an elevator pitch should be scrapped.
Over at A Storied Career Blog, Katherine has posted a discussion about the issues of putting storytelling into one's elevator speech. Overall, I think Katherine has a great blog. This particular post, however, reminds me of one of my frequent battles: The Elevator Speech Is Dead.
My podcast on this subject is at:
http://seantells.com/morethanspeaking
It always surprises me to see people teaching this archaic communication tool. The "elevator pitch" (EP) is designed to snag or sell. Are we still doing that in today's world? Are we still trying to "get" people? Is this the 90's where the whole world is full of dot-com startups begging for a venture capitalist to give a moment of attention?
Storytelling is a sole and single source of business communication that contains everything you need to communicate. Our job, no matter what our work is, is to create our Core Story. Once that is done and done correctly through the use of episodic creation, we now have a tool that can be broken down into the very quickest of communication in an elevator to a full-on presentation in a keynote.
Trying to make a story fit our EP (uggh) is like building a house and then wondering if you can find a way to pour some cement into the foundation now that the house is finished. Start with storytelling and your core story, not with an elevator speech. Start with the full knowledge and understanding of your story and then the rest falls right into place. Yes, it's still work but at least you are not trying to fit an elephant into a tutu.
There is so much going on where folks are dabbling in storytelling rather than embracing it for the essential and most foundation too that it is. I've been teaching my clients for years now: choose a project, wipe the slate clean and build your new approach upon the foundation of the story and storytelling techniques.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Over at A Storied Career Blog, Katherine has posted a discussion about the issues of putting storytelling into one's elevator speech. Overall, I think Katherine has a great blog. This particular post, however, reminds me of one of my frequent battles: The Elevator Speech Is Dead.
My podcast on this subject is at:
http://seantells.com/morethanspeaking
It always surprises me to see people teaching this archaic communication tool. The "elevator pitch" (EP) is designed to snag or sell. Are we still doing that in today's world? Are we still trying to "get" people? Is this the 90's where the whole world is full of dot-com startups begging for a venture capitalist to give a moment of attention?
Storytelling is a sole and single source of business communication that contains everything you need to communicate. Our job, no matter what our work is, is to create our Core Story. Once that is done and done correctly through the use of episodic creation, we now have a tool that can be broken down into the very quickest of communication in an elevator to a full-on presentation in a keynote.
Trying to make a story fit our EP (uggh) is like building a house and then wondering if you can find a way to pour some cement into the foundation now that the house is finished. Start with storytelling and your core story, not with an elevator speech. Start with the full knowledge and understanding of your story and then the rest falls right into place. Yes, it's still work but at least you are not trying to fit an elephant into a tutu.
There is so much going on where folks are dabbling in storytelling rather than embracing it for the essential and most foundation too that it is. I've been teaching my clients for years now: choose a project, wipe the slate clean and build your new approach upon the foundation of the story and storytelling techniques.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
DaddyTeller™ Ebook Now Released!
From Storyteller.net:
Today we launch our latest Ebook! DaddyTeller™ has arrived.
Focusing on helping any Dad tell stories to his kids, this affordable Ebook is available today with an instant download by visiting http://www.daddyteller.com.
(Moms can use this Ebook, too. Just know that it's written in guy-speak.)
Written by award-winning K. Sean Buvala, a 23 year veteran of the storytelling movement, we help Dad put down the storybooks and look into the eyes of his children while he tells them stories that pass on values, build communication, improve reading and math skills and create memories that will live far beyond the moment.
Filled with training and coaching, the book includes 8 stories with step-by-step instructions on what to say and how to say it. Going beyond fathering tips, this is a very specific guidebook.
The "DaddyTeller™: Be a Hero to Your Kids and Teach Them What's Important by Telling Them One Simple Story at a Time" Ebook is available now at the initial launch price of just $14.95.
This Ebook is just the beginning of the DaddyTeller™ project. Be part of the first to join this unique learning and telling community.
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.
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