Before We Say "Goodnight": How to Tell Bedtime Stories About Your Life and Family

by Hank Frazee, Sharon Gibb Murdoch (Foreword by)

Overview

Would you like to build deeper relationships with your kids?

Before We Say “Goodnight” will show you how to captivate your child’s imagination with a subject they can’t get enough of—you. In this book, you’ll discover an easy-to-learn three-step method for turning your life experiences, and those of your family, into great bedtime stories, all without notes or memorization. Best of all, you’ll make bedtime one of the happiest parts of the day.

“You are a champion in the hearts and minds of your kids, and they want to know all about you. This book is a knockout and will show you how to tell your story to your children.”
George Foreman – World champion heavyweight boxer and entrepreneur

“Children especially love two things: the first is stories, and the second is hearing about their parents’ lives. Hank Frazee has wrapped both loves into one beautiful method and book. It should sweep the nation!”
Dan Sullivan – Founder of The Strategic Coach Inc.

“We love this book! Every parent (and grandparent) should read it. Before We Say “Goodnight” will revolutionize your tuck-in time with your children.”
Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott – Founders of www.realrelationships.com, authors of The Parent You Want to Be

Hank Frazee grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA with a major in English Literature. An entrepreneur, he entered the life insurance business and advanced to the top 1 percent of insurance agents in the world. His love of family, books, and words led him to write Before We Say “Goodnight.” He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children and has told more than eight thousand original bedtime stories.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781614488910
Publisher:	Morgan James Publishing
Publication date:	05/06/2014
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Hank Frazee grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA with a major in English Literature. An an entrepreneur, he entered the life insurance business and advanced to the top 1 percent of insurance agents in the world. His love of family, books, and words led him to write Before We Say “Goodnight". He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children and has told more than eight thousand original bedtime stories.

Read an Excerpt

I have told over seven thousand bedtime stories to my three children and rarely repeated any of them. Yes, I’ve done the math. I tell my kids an original story every night, before they go to sleep. And they ask for one every night. What’s more important is that you can do it too. You don’t have to be well-read, and you don’t need a great memory or speaking voice.  You just need to be you and follow a few simple guidelines. This book will show you how it’s done.

You’ll learn a lot by reading the stories that follow each chapter. They all follow my basic formula for storytelling, as outlined in this book, and will be easy for you to duplicate with your own children. These are stories that my kids particularly enjoyed, and they will give you a good idea of how to tell a story. I always adjust the story to the audience, based on their age and maturity. The stories are presented here just as I’ve told them to my kids, with a few exceptions. I’ve titled them for the book, included occasional italicized or parenthetical remarks and made some minor changes for clarity and emphasis.  I’ve also left out the questions and answers that often follow a story. 

You have the ability to tell your kids great bedtime stories that they will always remember. All it really takes is your life experience and the desire to connect with your children. You have a built-in advantage in that you have a captive audience, your kids.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

1. The Beginning
“A Hot Breakfast”

2. The Best Storyteller on the Planet
“Grandpa and the Pig”

3. A Boy and His Dad
“Snakes and Bumblebees”

4. Time Travelers
“Winston”

5. Purpose and Meaning
“A  Love of Horses”

6. Challenges of Fatherhood
“The Elevator”

7. Traditions
“Love, Marriage and Gizmo”

8. Building Bridges
“The Bet”

9. Share Your Treasure
“Trail Riding”

10. Story Prompters
“Mr. Armstrong’s Gift”

11. Mildly to Wildly Entertaining
“Cake”
“Christmas Shopping”
“Nothing Hits the Spot Like a Hamburger”

12. The Moral of the Story
“Magic Fingers”

Closing Thoughts

Resources

Acknowledgment

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Hank Frazee’s book is right on point with current research that the environment shapes human brain development. Parents telling stories is precisely what helps children to become better people.”
-Elizabeth M. Kolve, MTF, PSY.D.

“There's a wonderful bond forged with our kids when we share our memories by telling them bedtime stories of the unforgettable characters we've known, the exciting experiences we've had, the amazing things we discovered, and the funny things we did as kids. Few things are more important than passing on to the next generation our beliefs and values. In this stunning book, Hank Frazee not only shares his own inimitable bedtime stories but reveals the secret of how to get close to your kids by sharing your own. Every parent and grandparent needs this book. We go around only once with our kids. They long to know us, and telling bedtime stories is a great way to open our hearts to them.”
-Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, Chaplain of the United States Senate, 1995-2003

“Before We Say “Goodnight” is a wonderful and fun learning tool for all parents. As an important alternative to the fairy tale at night, it teaches parents that these moments can turn into an oral history of family adventures from the past. Mr. Frazee gives easy-to-follow instruction that will enable all readers to acquire the skill to be exciting storytellers. A wonderful addition to all family libraries.”
-Gloria Watts, Director of Children’s Theatre

“Hank Frazee has written a book about how to tell stories to children. As far as I know, he's the first to do this, which makes his book pretty much invaluable. I too told bedtime tales to my children, but they were mostly my versions of Winnie-the-Pooh and the Doctor Doolittle stories—so inevitably I ran out of ideas fairly quickly. I wish I'd had Hank's book to help me out back then. The concept is terrific, the story ideas inventive, and I applaud him for putting it all down on paper so that parents and guardians (and even wicked uncles like me) will be able to benefit from his marvelous ideas.”
-Ian Ogilvy, Author of the Measle Series

“Hank Frazee’s book, Before We Say “Goodnight,” is practical and inspirational. Using stories from his own family, Frazee shares his insight on how bedtime can be a special time in every family’s day. Using Frazee’s methods, bedtime is a place to unpack family stories. It’s also a time when you can infuse values with the intention of creating a life-referencing moment between your children and stories of their parents, grandparents, and extended families, as well as connect those stories with the real and imagined. Undoubtedly, the safety of an open and communicative relationship between parent and child is essential for their relational health. I heartily recommend Hank’s book, Before We Say “Goodnight,” as what can and should be the experience of every child.”
-Ken Canfield, Ph.D., Executive Director, Boone Center for the Family, Pepperdine University

“Hank Frazee's book confirms for us all that the best stories are the ones that are told from the heart...personal tales...family memories...that continue the tradition that began thousands of years ago around the campfire. It's a fantastic book!”
-Beau Bridges

“A parent’s most important responsibility is teaching a child to know and worship his or her Creator. Hank Frazee shows how to incorporate our life experiences and moral values as an entertaining and instructive part of that responsibility and reveals how any parent can do it! Bravo!!”
-Pat Boone, Entertainer

“Children especially love two things: the first is stories, and the second is hearing about their parents' lives. Hank Frazee has wrapped both loves into one beautiful method and book. It should sweep the nation!”
-Dan Sullivan, Founder of The Strategic Coach, Inc.

“You are a champion in the hearts and minds of your kids and they want to know all about you. This book is a knockout and will show you how to tell your story to your children.”
-George Foreman, World Champion Heavyweight Boxer and Entrepreneur

“If we love reading and great stories, there is nothing better than passing these on to the next generation. Hank Frazee encourages us in creative ways to keep the important art of storytelling alive. A must for anyone with a story to tell.”
-John Wood, Founder and Executive Chairman, Room to Read

“We love this book! Every parent (and grandparent) should read it. Before We Say “Goodnight” will revolutionize your tuck-in time with your children.”
-Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, Founders of www.realrelationships.com, Authors of The Parent You Want to Be

“What a gift! Hank’s book is more than “how to tell bedtime stories.” This book reveals the secret of strengthening the lifetime connection between parents and children, while enhancing their brain development. The human voice and human touch are two of the most powerful stimulators of the child’s brain from birth onward, and parents who sit with their children, or hold them while reading, are accomplishing three purposes: building a close and meaningful relationship that will last a lifetime, improving quality of brain activity, and sharing cherished reflections of intimate bits of life history. Children who experience story time with their parents will always reach for books, and they will always want to learn to read. Preparing your children for academic success is best achieved by reading and telling stories to your children during their first three to four years of life. The more personal the stories are the more memorable they will be for your children. Hank’s book sets the tone for you to enjoy a natural and enlightening path to bonding with your children.”
-Wanda Draper, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Universityof Oklahoma College of Medicine

“In this busy world, with increasingly pervasive modern technology, this delightful book inspires us to share memories and stories with our children. Hank Frazee has shown us how to instill family values and traditions while enjoying the special time before our children fall asleep. Though my children have grown, I will be thankful for Hank's inspiration as I tell stories to my grandchildren.”
-Dr. Andrew Mclaren, Pediatrician

“Before We Say “Goodnight” reminds us of the beauty of family, the power of our stories, and the value of connection.”
-Thema Bryant-Davis, Ph.D., Author of Thriving in the Wake of Trauma: A Multicultural Guide

“Our children and grandchildren want to know who we really are. This book provides a wonderful method to share our life with those we love. It’s out of this world!”
-Buzz Aldrin, Astronaut, Apollo XI

“Before We Say ‘Goodnight’ is absolutely wonderful and I loved it. I passed it on to another dear friend who has just had his grandchildren move within “goodnight story telling” distance. He too thought it was really helpful and VERY practical. Having to create stories is only for the gifted…like my dad, but for the rest of us mortals to be able to retell your own life story in little excerpts is wonderful and essential to keeping family history alive.”
-Sharon Linkletter, daughter and proud recipient of a lifetime of storytelling by Art Linkletter

From the Publisher