TRUE  LIFE  STORIES

                       Beyond the ordinary -TRIUMPH   THROUGH  HOPE

Graceful Storyville presents entertaining  stories, authentic narratives of overcoming challenges through hope,featuring delightful bedtime stories for families. Discover how numerous individuals have endured  and  overcome difficult times and how many have escaped poverty and suffering through perseverance and optimism. What should you do when you find yourself alone, seeking direction with no place to turn? Look up and strive diligently. Read us and enjoy the entertainment !!!.

©   Graceful  Storyville

GRACEFUL

The  new content creators on social  media  and the  drama

by  Chukwuemeka  N

Freelance  Foreign  Correspondent

Tuesday   09/07/2026   18:56 PM   5mins

A  lovely  couple  on a beautiful  family outing

When Did Everything Become Content  for  pubic  consumption?

There was a time when taking  photographs meant preserving  beautiful  family and  social memories . Today  people  feel that  amateur photography and  the   taking of  family  pictures on their mobile  phone  is  professional  photography  that  goes   with  content  creation  which they  feel  is sharing  the  intimate  aspects  of  their  lives  to  the  world  and every  picture taken  must  be  shared to  the  entire world.It often feels like washing ones  family dirty linens  on  social  media  is content creation   and the  making  of  movies .So many  pictures  taken  are  put  up  for the  whole  world ,even very  personal  events  that  are  not  meant  for children to  see  are  shown.Go to a concert and watch what happens as soon as the lights dim. Hundreds of phones rise into the air before the first song has even finished. Sit down for a meal at a restaurant and
someone will inevitably pause everyone before they start eating. “Wait, don’t touch it yet.”
But it isn’t just concerts. It’s holidays, birthdays, morning walks, random acts of kindness,
even sunsets that will disappear in a matter of minutes. More often than not, our first instinct
is to document the moment before we’ve fully experienced it.
It’s become so normal that most of us don’t even notice we’re doing it.
The strange thing is that this isn’t necessarily vanity. It’s easy to blame social media or
dismiss people as attention-seeking, but I don’t think that’s the whole story. Many of us
aren’t posting because we crave validation. We’re posting because documenting life has
quickly become part of living it.
Somewhere along the way, memories stopped feeling complete unless there was proof they
happened.
Photos have always helped us remember. They let us revisit faces we’ve lost, places we’ve
travelled, and moments that would otherwise fade with time. Anyone who’s stumbled across
an old family album knows how powerful a single photograph can be.
The problem isn’t that we take pictures. It’s that we’ve become so focused on capturing
moments that we sometimes forget to experience them.
Perhaps we record so much because we’re afraid of forgetting. Or because experiences
somehow feel more real once they’re acknowledged by other people. Maybe it’s simply a
habit. After years of carrying a camera in our pockets, reaching for it has become almost as
automatic as smiling.
I remember standing at a scenic viewpoint on holiday. Before I’d even stopped to take it all
in, I’d already unlocked my phone. The photo turned out beautifully, but afterwards I realised
I’d spent more time deciding where to stand than actually standing there and appreciating it.
My memory of being there wasn’t nearly as vivid.
Maybe that’s the trade-off we rarely talk about. Our phones remember everything. We don’t.
Memory isn’t just built from images. It’s built from sounds, smells, conversations, and the
feeling of being completely present. None of those things fit neatly inside a photograph.
Ironically, the moments we most want to preserve can become the ones we experience the
least.
Of course, none of this means we should stop taking pictures. Some memories deserve to
be captured. Years from now, you’ll probably be grateful for the blurry photo of a family
gathering or the slightly crooked picture from a holiday you can barely remember. Those
images become small time capsules, reminding us of people and places that might
otherwise have slipped away.
But not every beautiful moment needs an audience, not every meal needs to be posted, and
not every concert needs to be filmed from beginning to end. Sometimes the greatest value of
an experience is that it belongs only to the people who were there.
We’ve become remarkably good at collecting evidence that we’ve lived interesting lives. I’m
not sure we’ve become equally good at simply living them.
The answer probably isn’t deleting our social media accounts or leaving our phones at
home. Our phones aren’t the problem, and neither is sharing moments with the people we
care about. But our phones are very good at encouraging habits we rarely stop to question.
Maybe it’s something much simpler.
The next time life hands you a moment worth remembering, give yourself permission to
experience it before you reach for your camera. If you still want the photograph afterwards,
take it.
You might discover that the memory lasts a little longer because you were actually there
when it happened.People  are  sharing the  most intimate  aspect  of  themselves  and lives  on  social  media.Is  that  the  new  networking  or  are  they  turning  themselves  into  movies?.

Graceful  Storyville

The Disappearance of Boredom

by  Chukwuemeka  N

Freelance   Foreign  Correspondent

Tuesday  07/07/2027  17:21   5mins

The  image  is  for  illustrative  purpose  and   does not  depict  the  true  image  of the people  in the  story

I caught myself checking my phone while waiting for the microwave the other day. There
were eight seconds left. Eight!
I wasn’t expecting a message, nobody had emailed me, and nothing had happened that
needed my attention. Apparently, eight seconds of doing absolutely nothing was somehow
too much to ask.
That bothered me more than it probably should have.
I don’t remember making that decision. One day, I just noticed I couldn’t be idle without
checking my phone. Waiting for a friend soon meant scrolling through Instagram. Walking to
the mall suddenly became unbearable without listening to some music. Even washing the dishes
started needing YouTube in the background. Apparently my own thoughts weren’t
considered good enough company anymore.
It’s strange when you think about it. We can barely tolerate a lift taking fifteen seconds to
arrive without reaching into our pockets. We stand at pedestrian crossings for less than a
minute and still feel the urge to check whether anything new has happened online since the
last time we looked. Usually, it hasn’t. We know it hasn’t. We look anyway.
Everyone says our attention spans are getting shorter. I’m not sure that’s what’s happening.
Maybe we’ve just forgotten how to leave a moment alone.
There used to be awkward little pockets of the day that nobody expected you to fill. Looking
out of a bus window, standing outside a classroom before it opened, or sitting in the car
because your mum said she’d “just be a minute.” Nothing happened during those moments,
and that was exactly the point. Your thoughts wandered because there wasn’t anything else
competing for them.Maybe that’s why some of my best ideas never arrive when I’m actually trying to think of them. They show up halfway through a shower, while I’m walking somewhere with no
destination in mind, or just before I fall asleep. It’s almost irritating. I can spend an hour
trying to force an idea onto the page and get nowhere, only for the idea to show up while I’m
brushing my teeth.
I don’t think this is really about phones, at least not entirely. Blaming technology is too easy.
My phone helps me keep in touch with people I care about, teaches me things I’d never
have learned otherwise, and occasionally rescues me from genuinely boring situations.
At some point, waiting stopped feeling like waiting and started feeling like wasted time. We
answer emails while waiting for the kettle to boil. We can’t walk anywhere without something
playing through our headphones. Even a run somehow feels incomplete if an app isn’t
tracking it.
Maybe we’ve accidentally started treating our attention like every spare second is a room
that has to be occupied.
I wonder what would happen if we left those eight seconds alone.As a kid, I hated hearing, “Go and find something to do.” It usually meant wandering around
the house until I eventually invented a game, picked up a book, or annoyed someone
enough to make my own entertainment.
Looking back, maybe that was the point.
I'm not about to throw my phone into a drawer or swear off social media. That feels dramatic,
and I’d probably last until lunchtime. But maybe next time I’ll wait for the lift without checking
my phone. Maybe I’ll spend the bus journey looking out of the window instead.
Then again, maybe eight seconds is longer than we think.

A  young  person  from Africa    writes   about    how  his  mobile  phone  is  taking  up  his  time  and attention

Graceful Storyville

What Leaving  the University Taught Me About Having  to  start  Again in Life

story  renarrated 

by   Graceful  Online  Team

Tuesday   30/06/2026   20:52   10mins  BST

The  image  is  for illustrative   purposes  only  and  not the real  people  in this narrative

I never imagined that I would have to leave the university before finishing my studies. I didn't lack the
motivation or ability to study. I simply couldn’t afford to continue.
For a long time, I treated that as a  proof  that I had failed. Watching former classmates graduate while my own life seemed to stall was bitter. You try telling yourself you’re happy for them, and part of you genuinely is. The other part is wondering what you did wrong. But looking back, I
realise I mistook a detour for a dead end.
We often imagine life as a straight road. We go to school, build a career, start a family, and
eventually settle into the life we envisioned. Reality, however, has a habit of spitting in the
face of our plans.
Sometimes the road just ends. Other times you’re shoved onto another one without being
asked. Or maybe you realise you’ve spent years chasing a destination you didn’t even want.
You only wanted it because everyone else seemed to be heading there. In those moments, it
feels as though life has slipped beyond your control. That’s usually the point where people
assume the story is over, but maybe it’s only just beginning.
There is an unspoken pressure in modern society to have everything figured out by a certain
age, and social media only amplifies that expectation. You open your phone to see
engagements, promotions, new houses, and dream holidays. Everyone seems to be moving
while you’re stuck standing still.
What those photos don’t show is the debt, the rejected job applications, the failed
businesses, or the nights spent lying awake wondering whether you’ve wasted years of your life. After all, we celebrate people after they’ve succeeded. Hardly anyone celebrates them
while they’re in the middle of falling apart.
Starting over isn’t glamorous or inspiring, at least not at first. It’s really, really embarrassing.
It means admitting the version of your life you’d imagined isn’t happening. And I know that
feeling firsthand.
Leaving university wasn’t just about losing my place there. It felt like losing the person I
thought I was supposed to become. I’d tied my self-worth to that future, and with that gone, I
felt robbed. I was angry at myself, life, and the sheer unfairness of it all.
Eventually, I realised something uncomfortable. Life doesn’t owe us the version we
imagined. Truth be told, it doesn't owe us anything.
That sounds harsh, but accepting it was strangely freeing. Once I stopped mourning the
future I’d invented, I could finally pay attention to the present that was actually in front of me.
Maybe you’ve met someone like that too. The woman who left banking to become a teacher,
or the mechanic who finally opened his own garage after years of working for somebody
else, or even the widower who discovered photography simply because he needed a reason to leave the house again. Nobody writes books or makes documentaries about those people, but maybe they should.
They’re the ones quietly rebuilding their lives while the rest of us scroll past without noticing.
Of course, not every fresh start is brave or even the right move. Sometimes walking away is
just another way of avoiding putting in the effort. In some situations, perseverance and patience matter more than reinvention. The hard part is knowing when to leave or stay.
I still catch myself thinking I’m behind. It isn't easy to stop thinking I’ve somehow missed my
chance. Then I remember nobody handed us that timetable. We made it up ourselves.
Most new beginnings don’t look dramatic anyway. They’re small, incremental steps like
updating a CV that’s been untouched for years, sending the email you’ve rewritten five
times, or walking into a gym hoping nobody notices you’re new. Things that don't feel
life-changing at the time, just awkward.
I still haven’t ended up where I thought I would, and honestly, I’m glad. The version of
success I had at eighteen belonged to someone who hadn’t been tested yet. These days,
I’m less interested in getting everything right and more interested in simply moving forward.
If you’re standing at  crossroads, wondering whether it’s too late, or waiting for permission to start again, consider  it. Sometimes  we think  that  we know  it  all  , but  most  great  people  are  people  who  left  what they  were  doing   and started  something new  and  there  is always  light  in dark  tunnels , when  we  open our hearts  to new  opportunities. But  Graceful  believes  that there  might  be  need  for more  funding  for  Universities  and  higher  colleges  in the  countries  where  the  youngsters  are  more  likely  to  drop  out of education  as a  result  of  parental  incapacitations  to  enable them  to  be given the needed   help to  complete  their  education. This will  help to  give  equal  opportunities to  kids in  those  countries  and  avoid stories  like this.

The  narrator  of the story writes  from the  continent  of  Africa.The  narrator  overcame the  feelings  of  loss  due to this  event  by  hope

 Graceful   

 Parenting with tough  love  is  sometimes good  for the  youngsters

Tuesday  09/06/2026  11:30  P.M  15mins

by  Chinyere  Nwakanma

© Video Credits  Graceland  Books  and Allied/Graceful  Storyille - Video  Title :No  sweet  treats  for  the lazy  Ducklings

We all experienced childhood and understood that there were many occasions when we preferred to be idle and would always enjoy playing. I can recall as young girls how much we cherished gathering with our friends to play. The afternoon rest period after school was particularly challenging as we would peek through the windows to check if our playmates were nearby and if playtime had commenced. However, the adults around us understood the concept of tough love and insisted that we rest before engaging in play. Household chores felt burdensome since we favoured playtime over chores. When it was time for the adults to return from work, we would hurry to complete our chores. They would scold us for playing too much, but we believed they were being unnecessarily strict. Those who did not finish their homework were prohibited from further playtime, and we genuinely felt that we were missing out on something very  significant. As young children, we lamented that our guardians were too strict and thought we understood better, but now we realise that wisdom is gained with age. Sometimes, we may leave instructions for the children, assuming that they know what is right. However, young ones possess limited knowledge about life, and parents must exercise tough love to set things straight and guide them towards positivity. There are moments to refuse everyone's requests and also times to agree. Tough love is beneficial for young children, as it prevents yielding to all their demands. While it may not seem fair to them at that moment, later in life, they will come to appreciate the actions taken on their behalf. They may occasionally cry to the wrong individuals, claiming that their parents' reprimands are too severe, but in a few years time, they will understand the value of those lessons.

© Graceful  June  2026 -     No   Sweet   Seed treats for the  little  lazy  Ducklings by  Chinyere Nwakanma

                    © Video   and  story credits-Graceful  magazine and Chinyere  Nwakanma

                          The  Duck  celebrates  with  the  Ducklings  for  helping  to  clean out

The  little  Ducklings   did  not  like  to  help out in the house.All that they liked  to  do  was  to  play  with their  friends  while  jumping  up  and down.One  morning  their  mum  asked them to  pick the  leaves  on the  sea shores  .But  the  four  lazy  little  Ducklings  said-No , No, No  mummy.

Mummy  Duck  looked  at them,  her  eyes  wide  open.She said  nothing  to them  but  knew  what  to  do.The next  day  the  Duck  was on an outing  with the Ducklings  and they  passed the  sweet  shops.The  four  little  Ducklings  ran  into  the  shop,  jumping  about to get  some  seeds  garnished  with sweets.

"No   sweet seeds  for  the  little lazy Ducklings  who cannot  pick   the  leaves  on the sea shores" their  mum told  them.The  little  Ducklings  cried  but  the  Duck  did  not  listen to them. They   came  out from the  sweet shop and promised  the Duck that  they  will  help  out  in the  picking  of the  litter  leaves.

After  some  days  Mummy  Duck  went  to the  sweet  seed  treat shop  and bought  some  sweat seed treats  for  the  lazy  little  Ducklings.She  hid  the  sweet    seeds  in her  bag.It  was  evening  time  and  the  sea  shore  was  littered  with  leaves.The  Ducklings  picked  up the  leaves  even without their mum asking them to  do so.When they  came  back  their  mum  thanked  them  for  picking  up the  leaves  .She  told them-Surprise ,Surprise , Surprise and they  asked  their mummy  what  the surprise was .You  have  some sweet  seeds from the sweet  shop  as  a treat  for  cleaning  the sea  front.The  little  ducklings  quacked  loud  dancing  while  taking  the seeds  from their  mum.One  good  turn deserves  another , their  mum  told them.The  little  Ducklings  ate  the  sweet  seeds  and  said  good  night  to  their  mum.

 Copyright © June  2026  Chinyere  Nwakanma and  Graceland  Books  and Allied/ Graceful.

GRACEFUL

©   Graceful Storyville

The  Story  Of  Olivia  and her  positive  grandmother-You are  beautiful

by Chinyere Nwakanma 

Monday 08/06/2026  1.12am  BST  15minutes 

©  Image  credits  -Graceful. Images are  for  illustration only

One of the significant issues that adversely impact children and adolescents is low self-esteem and negative body image concerns. Children suffer when they hear negative remarks regarding their body image, their families, or their academic performance, which can sometimes result in behavioural problems. Many individuals underestimate the effects of harmful language on others and are indifferent to the divisions their words may create within society. Psychotic episodes in numerous individuals have been triggered by the persistent use of derogatory languages or anxiety stemming from the words spoken by others.

Olivia  lived with  her  grandmother,  while her  parents  lived  in the  city.Her  grandmother  was a school teacher  in   her  town and  opted  to  live  with Olivia   as  she  needed  help to do  some of her daily  routines.Olivia  was  a tall  slim  beautiful girl.She was  considered  too tall for  her  age  and towers  above  everyone  in  her class.She  was  a brilliant  girl  and her  grandmother  helped her  with her  school  lessons.Olivia  met  some  students at  school  who  always  told her  that  she  was  too skinny and too tall for  her  age.Because  of that  Olivia  wore multiple  clothes inside,  to be  able  to  look  a little  bit  fat.One  morning  her  grandmother  saw  her tucking  in two trousers  while  dressing  up  for  school.Her  grandmother  took  her  aside  and  said  to her “Olivia  my  child  ,you need  to  remain  who  you  are” .”You are  beautiful  and  wonderfully  made  Olivia”.

“Yes  grandma  and thank you for  the  kind  words” ,she replied. Olivia    was  a brilliant  student,  but hardly  goes  out   with other students.She  was always  shy  and kept  to  herself.

One  day Olivia  was  going  for  a school  trip. She  woke  up  by  6.00am  and stood in  the mirror   trying  to  figure out  what  to  wear  to school. She  brushed  her hair  six  times  and  checked  her weight  on the scale  five  times .She  looked  at  her  face  in the  mirror so many  times  and tried  to  remove  the  acne. Her  grandmother  watched  her  and was  worried  about her  body image  problems. Her grandmother  asked  her  what  she  has been  doing  for  so  long a time   in the  mirror ,as  she  was  running late to  school.Her  grandmother  called  her aside  and  spoke  to her.

Olivia my   beautiful  granddaughter  I  will  buy you some acne creams    today. But  even with  the acne  ”You  are still  beautiful  and you are  wonderfully made”.

“You will  remain my granddaughter  and we  love  you the  way  you  are”.

Olivia  left  for  school early  that  morning.Grandma went  to the  shop to  buy the  acne cream  for  the  girl.When she  returned  from school,her  grandmother  gave  her  the acne cream.Her face  lifted up  with  joy and  she  gave  her    grandma  a  big hug.Her  grandma  called  her  aside and told  her  that  she used  to be  a very slim little  girl  and  had  acne  when  she  was a teenager.But  she  grew  fat  after  given birth  to  her mother  and her  acne  disappeared. She told  her  that she  is  beautiful and will  always remain  fine.Soon the  acne  disappeared   and  Olivia  started  adding  lots  of  weight.She  went  to the school  and the other pupils  told  her  that  she is  a  very  fat  girl now.Olivia  returned  back   home  and  asked  her  grandma  what  she  would do to reduce her  weight.Her  grandma  smiled  at her  and told  her  that the  last  time  she  was  very  skinny  and  now she is very  fat.”There  is  no  condition that is  permanent”  ,she  told her  granddaughter. You need  to eat  more  of  the vegetables  and fruits  ,she told  her.But  remember  my granddaughter  that whether you  are  fat , slim or short.You are  loved  and accepted  by  me  the  way  you are.

“You are beautiful  and wonderfully made”, she  told  her.There  can  never  be  another  you  on this  planet.Accept yourself  and  remain confident  and face  your  studies  for now. You can always  take care  of  your weight  by  going  to the  gym after  you have  finished  your  studies  and  can  afford  to  do that.Olivia studied   very hard  at  school.She made  very  good  grades  and went  to the  city  to  study at  the  higher  college and  work.She  got  a very  good  job  as a secretary  after  leaving  school with  a  higher  qualification and paid  for  her  gym visits. By  now  the  acne  has gone  and she  remained  a  young  confident  woman.She  thanked her grandmother  for  what  she  taught  her.

"That  no  condition can  be  permanent  and that  she is  beautiful  and wonderfully made".

 by  © Chinyere  Nwakanma  Copyright  June 2026

Simple   bedtime  tales  do keep  the kids busy and  can be  fun times even while on the  go and are  beautiful  ways to  say  good  night .

Sunday  07/06/2026    00:55 a.m  BST  10mins

© Video  images -No summer  holidays for  the  little  Ducklings  credits   Graceful/Graceland  Books  and  Allied

Due to their exhaustion after a long day at work, many individuals find it challenging to engage with books, or they perceive them as unnecessary in our modern era. In this digital age, even if one cannot allocate time to read physical books before bedtime, it is possible to access literature through digital devices. I have observed numerous parents utilizing mobile phones to display picture books for their children, creating moments of laughter during travel. Simple stories serve as effective tools for keeping children occupied and focused, as they are prone to distraction and boredom. At times, parents may feel overwhelmed with the challenge of maintaining their children's calmness, particularly while on the move. However, vibrant images and colorful illustrations on mobile devices have proven to be quite effective. I have noticed that toddlers tend to remain calm when they encounter their favorite cartoon characters, unless they are hungry or excessively tired. Bedtime stories can engage toddlers, assisting parents in navigating moments of tranquility or managing instances of distress while traveling, especially when it is difficult to discern what the child truly desires. The key is to capture their attention, as they can easily become bored and stressed from frequent travel, being shuffled around by busy parents balancing work, shopping, business, and parenting responsibilities. Stories are often employed to divert their attention from the weather, regardless of whether it is cold or hot. Singing nursery rhymes together can be an enjoyable activity for children, bringing them joy and aiding in their speech development. This practice enhances their language skills and vocabulary rapidly, especially when they are read to consistently. Toddlers become quick learners when they feel confident in their speech.  

No Summer Holidays  for  the little Ducklings-The  Bedtime Story

Five little   happy  clappy  Ducklings  stayed  obedient  to  their mum’s advice  not  to  go  over the  fence  to  look  for  the  croaking  frogs  or  throw their  toys  over  the  fences  to  the  annoyance of the  frogs  .The mother  Duck  was  going  to the  other  side  of the  sea   to  get more  food  for the  Ducklings and she  told the  Ducklings  to  remember  the  rules.Yes  mummy, they answered.But as soon as   their mum  left  for  the  other side  of the  sea,the  little  Ducklings  had  a knock  at the  door.Their   little Duckling  friend Theo  has  come around  for  a playtime.The  ducklings quacked  and the  noises  were so  much that  the  frogs  came  around to ask  them to  stop the noises.Knock , Knock ,Knock  they  heard. Who is there they  asked?.It is  the  frogs  they answered.Can you please  minimise the noises  ,noisy  little Ducklings the frogs  told them.I  think  your  mum is not  at home   and nobody  is  there  to  stop  the noises.Suddenly mother  Duck  appeared  with some bags  of  food   and  the  Ducklings  quacked  loudly.One  of the  frogs  placed  a finger  on his  own mouth ,  showing   the  Ducklings that  they  need  to  shut  up.What  is the matter ?,the  mother  Duck  asked. These  frogs  are here  to  ask  us to stop the noises.They  matched  over  the  fences  to  stop our playtime ,the  Ducklings  told their  mum.The Ducklings  asked the visiting frogs  not  to  be  angry.She brought out  a  bag of  food  and  gave  the  frogs  and  told them that  she  has  gone to  get  some food for  everyone.The  frogs  thanked her  and left  .

'You  could  have  kept your  mouths  shut', than to answer  back  the Duck  told the Ducklings.The  noisy little  Ducklings  have no  ability  to  shut  up.'Because  you  did not  keep  your  mouths  shut  when the  angry  frogs  knocked  at the  door,there will be  no  summer  holidays  for  you all' ,the  mother  duck told them.If you did not open the  door to  answer the  knock,  the  frogs  would  have  gone  back  and there will  be  no troubles.The  mother  Duck  welcomed  their  friend Theo and asked  him  about his family  .They  are  all fine,he  replied.She  told the little Ducklings  that they  must learn  not  to  answer the  knocks  at the  door  when  she  is not  around  for  safety  reasons.She advised  them to  always  invite  their  friends  over only  when she  is  around.The little  Ducklings  played  with  their  friend Theo,  until  they all got tired.He left and  waved  goodbye  to his  friends and was very  happy for having  a  fun day with them, which  could  have  been  ruined  by the   angry  frogs.No  summer holidays   for  everyone  the four  noisy Ducklings  chorused  , while  the  mother  Duck  looked  at  them  and laughed.

Copyright ©  Graceful  Storyville  June 2026 -Chinyere  Nwakanma  and  Graceland  Books  and  Allied

Graceful

The  reasons why  it  is good to respect  other people's  feelings -based  on a  story book

What  did  the  Duck  tell the Ducklings?-Respect people's  feelings-  The  Book

Saturday  06/06/2026   16:18  P.M  BST

© Video  Copyright  Graceland  Books  and Allied  June  2026

What did the  Duck  tell the  Ducklings?-Graceland Books and Allied June 2021

Living  in multicultural  London, gives  people  insight  into  how other people  live and it helps  people to  learn  about the  uniqueness of  each  human  and how  to  accommodate  others  who  have  different  belief systems  as them.It  is great  to learn  how  to  give  others  respect  as  humans  as  I  wrote  in my  storybook   my  book - What  did  the  Duck  tell  the Ducklings?- Respect  people's feelings. Many   people  around the world have  been  able  to  understand the  uniqueness  of  each  people , despite  their  faith  beliefs cultural  affiliations, social  classes, financial  statuses  or  colour. But  people  who  still  treat   others without consideration  could  be  doing that because  they were  not taught to  do  so as infants ,hence  the  reasons  why  books  like  this  are needed by  children. Many  people  with the  ability  to get along  with  people  learnt  the  skill  as infants  and  they  are  the very  accommodating  people   who  we see  around the  planet This  book  has  its  theme  on  what  I  told  the playing tots  about  going  to the neighbour's  gardens  to pick up football  or  other  toys when  they  have  been  told  by  the neighbours  that  they are not  interested in the  little  tots  and their  noises. Living in peace  with  our neighbours  is a sign of  human maturity  and  having  that  ability  to get  along  with  people  of  all races, faith  and  colour, shows that  one has  come  to the  point  of  having that  understanding  that we are  all humans  and that this  earth  was given the  capacity  to  contain  everyone. The  vast earth lands and its  resources that  we  met   as  infants has not been  depleted  and  I  have  never  seen  any  singular person  who  has been  given  the  ability  to  carry  this  earth  on his or  her  head ,when they are  leaving the  world. In the  story  of  the  mother  Duck  whose  Ducklings  wanted  to  get  into  fights  with  their  neighbours the croaking frogs. The  nuisance  frogs  and their  noises  made  the  little  Ducklings  upset. But the  wise  mother  Duckling advised the Ducklings  not to  move to  neighbour's  sides of the pond to  look for  trouble. They were  counselled  to allow the croaking  frogs to be  and never   to put  up  any  fights with them. The  little Ducklings  were full of  complaints  about  the  frog  noises. But it was  the  croaking frog  noises, that  saved  the  ocean inhabitants  after  an  oil  spillage. The  frog  put  up   noises  to inform  the  sea  inhabitants  that  there  was danger  and  everyone need  to run  to safety. From the  story the  frogs in the  sea worked   as the  security  guard  of the  waters  and  without the  croaky  noises , everyone  would  have  been in   danger of drowning  after  the oil  spillage  in the  sea  as  told  in the  story.

Sometimes  we  do  not  see the people  brought to be  in our  lives  as  being  there  on a purpose  until  we  are jolted to  our  senses  by events.

Why storytelling  is  good  for  kids

Sometimes  I  sit back  to  recollect  some of the amazing  tales  we were  told  as kids  in the literature  classes  and they  give  me so much  joy.Stories  bring  the  sweetest  times of  childhood  back to  the memory,  reminding  us  of the  times    we  read  the  amazing  colourful  well  illustrated  books  as kids and the readers.

Storytelling  has been  found  to  be  good  for  the emotional  and  cognitive development  of  kids through  the   building of  language skills, fostering empathy, and boosting cognitive abilities. It gives the children  safe spaces to explore  their emotions, find out more  about  the  world,the  environments,the  societies  across  continents,their  cultures  while expanding their imaginations  and  thinking horizons, as they  think  deeply  about  how  life  could  be  in other  places  different from theirs . This prepares them for future learning and life  beyond their own  cultures. This  brings  them  to places of  accepting  others  and the  uniqueness of the  different  human  identities  across  the  globe.Most  adventurous  kids  are  the present day  travellers ,who go to  different  continents  to explore  cultural  values  and find   out more about how people  are  living  and  what makes  us  different  from one  another  as humans  that live  in  different places  and in  different ways.It helps  to  develop   curious  minds  in kids  leading  them to  want  to  learn more  about our world , by  exploring arts  and  science,  leading  to great  discoveries in  science  medical  cures and the development of  artistic  talents.The travellers  are  some of the  most  successful  storytellers,  with great  skills  in imagination  and they showcase  the  world of  different   cultures in  very  entertaining  ways.It  is  one  of the most amazing  skills to have  in  adult  life.The  ability  to  imagine    tales and bring them  to real life,  with  life  about  different  people,places  and things  put  down in  simple tales  that people  do  find  interesting  and easy to read ,understand and   watch on the  screens.

        How  story telling  helps  in the  developmental  processes  of the  kids

          Storytelling  and   exploring  of  our  world through imagination  helps  children to

• Develop  new language skills and literacy: Stories introduce new vocabularies to  kids and they  help  to improve communication skills in kids. Children who listen to  stories frequently develop better listening  skills.Children  develop new  skills and   are  also  able  to retell  the  stories  and analyse  what they  have  heard  or seen to other people  even in adult  life.

• Empathy and Social-Emotional development: By exploring the book  characters' motivations, children learn to understand what others  feel  and learn  how  to  accept  other people's feelings  and  opinions. It serves as an emotional blueprint to safely process difficult situations  and feelings.Many  children who  have  lived  with  great story tellers,  have been found  to  be  empathic, sharing  easily  human  emotions  and love to others.

• Cognitive Development: Storytelling  helps  to keep  the memory alert, get people  to listen  and  stay  focused  and to  become  abstract thinkers. It helps children to  visualize complex  situations  and that strengthens their abilities  to  solve  diverse problems  latter in life.

• Building Resilience: Listening to  stories that  show challenges and triumphs helps children to learn how to adapt easily  to real-world challenges.It  helps them  to  build  resilience  and to become   confident  people latter in adult  life.

How  children could  be  helped  to  develop the  love  of  work  through  story  telling

The  news  that the youngsters  are  out of  work   and  education from  the radio was  not  a great  one  last  week  since  they  are  the nation's  future.We  are in worrying times as we were  all made  to know  that the  youngsters , even  the University  graduates  are  not  working  at  all even after training.The  concept  of getting  the kids  to  work , starts  from childhood and early years  through  teenage years and  adulthood. It  is  from the  early  years  that  kids develop  the  love  of  work or professionalism  during playtimes and  while  watching    the  adults  around them  especially  their  parents,relatives and  their  teachers going  out  and returning home after  work.They are motivated  to  pursue  work  when they see  how much their parents  earn  at the  end of the  month  and how  great  life  can be  with great  earnings in latter  life.

• Exploring  plays and  stories   do help  children  to  visualise  what  they will  like  to  become in  adult  life,making them to make  early  career  choices.It  also helps them to  stay  focused  on the  path  of  their career  decisions  as they  remember  successful  book  characters,movie characters  and  authors  in  adult  life. They  work hard to  become  successful  like  characters  they  have  seen in books  and  movies.

Working  parents  do keep their  kids  comfortable  by  celebrating  their  birthdays buying them good  clothes  and shoes,paying off  bills  without  arguing in front  of kids.They  work  to avoid having their  kids  watch  their parent being thrown out  of the  homes  by  angry landlords and  bailiffs or  watch their  children  suffer  while  growing   in poverty  caused  by  worklessness.  Worklessness in  adulthood  is  developed     from  living and growing  in  workless  households  as parents and  adult  relatives  are  supposed  to  be good or positive role  models to their children.The  concept  of being hardworking is something that  could  be inculcated in children  right  from  kindergarten by reading  the imaginative  tales  of  the successful lives  of  hardworking  men  and women ,who  had   their  fortunes  changed  as they  were  working to  make  a  living  and to help  others . Exploring tales  of how  hard work  pays  for  children  and do  help  them  to grow into  adults  who  like  to  work,because  they learn't  as kids  that  hard work  pays. This  can be easily  be taught  through  stories and playtimes  at  the schools and  at home .There could  be  a  combination of things  that  can lead   kids not to work , even  after  acquiring  their  degrees from  the Universities.An  apathy  and lack  of love  for  their  chosen profession as has been  seen in  many  people,who  feel that  it is  too late  to change their  chosen professions after  working  so hard  to  get  a degree,hence they  feel that  there  is nothing  left  for  them to do.And they  might  not  want to  pursue  other  trades  as  adults.Sometimes  when parents  have left  large  fortunes  for their  kids,there  might  not be any need for them to  worry to  work, as they  have  enough to pay up bills  throughout their adult lives.A  psychological apathy  to  work  could be developed by  kids  in adult life, if work didnot pay  for their  parents ,uncles and aunts.  Children  who  saw  their  parents struggle   to feed them,pursued by the bailiffs  for unpaid bills to pay  rents  ,while  being  thrown  about different  homes  and having nothing  to  show  for  years  of hard work, end up  seeing  work  as  not  a paying  option  , as they have  seen  their  families remain  poor or  even homeless after  doing so many  projects  or  work.They are  actually being  shown that they can  actually work  and get nothing out of it,so they  live their  lives  not trying at  all.They  live  with  no  work  and nothing , as their  parents who they saw   working hard  got  payed nothing  so they  feel  that they can actually  live the trend and be  sleeping, waking up  and hovering  about a their  parents  did.These are mostly  the people  seen around London doing  window shopping  with kids,during  what is  supposed  to  be  work  hours  for  adults.The  concept of  worklessness  becomes   a  generational  concept transferred  from generation to  generation to  the offspring's  raised  in such workless  households, where  kids  watch  their parents  live  from hand  to mouth  even after  studying  at  the Universities,especially  where  hardworking  parents  are  penalised  for  doing nothing  wrong  or  being  paid  nothing for  their  hard work, hence the  kids  grow  up  with the feeling that hard work  does not pay at all as they  have  seen with  their  parents.Kids  learn by  watching  what  happens at  home,schools  and the  worship places .Values  such  as  hard work  as  told in the palm-wine  Tapper  book  is   something  that kids  learn  from stories  and by  watching  their  parents  ,  relatives and adults  in their  family  social  circles.Parents being   out of  work all their  lives,being  poor  with  nothing  to  show  for  being humans ,while  kids  watch  their  layabout parents  is  a sure way to  get the kids  to  become layabouts  and   to  do  what  they have  learnt  from their  parents,  such as hanging  about  and  doing  nothing  all their  lives .They  come to  the point  of  feeling that it is  normal  to  go  about without  good  pairs  of shoes ,live  in tiny rooms,feed  on the  basics or  to  live with nothing in ragged  up homes  and shabby places ,so there  is  no  drive  to  work harder  as  they  move  on to  live  on the  basics  like their  parents did,  not  knowing  what  is  excellent  for  themselves  as  they  have never  known anything better.Such  groups  do  feel that  they can  do  with living  as mediocre  as  they  saw  many  of  their  parents  and family  members do.If their  mums  and dads  never  worked  where  will they learn serious  work  ethics.Most of the  people  being  spoken about ,lived  on streets  where  no one ever  worked and that is the  life they  grew  up knowing about-hanging  and  roaming  about  during  work times  or  simply  sleeping  during broad  day  light.The  COVID  19 experiences  also  meant  that  many   kids  got used to indoor  stays  and many  could  be  suffering  from the  aftermath -a  hidden fear  of  going  out,which is  a large  scale  psychological problem.It  all boils  down to  the  psychological  issues  some of them  might  have ,developed  through  years of  living  in fear  and  trying  to stay  safe  by  not  associating  with others, crowds  of people , who  might get them into  troubles,hence  many  of them live  in  isolation  even after  their university  years.The  apathy  towards  associating with people  developed  by those  who  grew  up  during the  COVID  19 years  could  be  a  major issue ,many  of them  do sit at  home  as they do  not  have  the  needed social  skills to mix  up  with  people  of  different races and colours  at their  work and  social places.Some  of them get  paid, fixing  up things at home  for  their  parents  as  one  mum told  everyone in the tabloids about  her son who  she  pays  to  fix  up  her  things  .  Such  groups   feel  that  they are  making  enough  hanging  around  with  little  to do  at home.Exploring the option of making  life  better through  work  is  great  for  society  and countries  as  economies get  better   when many  people  are  working  especially  the younger  people.

Graceful

Princess -A  Story  of  hope  in the  midst  of  pain

Sunday 24/05/2026  18:34   P.M  10mins

Video  and  Image  courtesy  Graceful - The Images   are  for illustration purposes only