How do I encourage face-to-face storytelling in a home where screen entertainment dominates? 

Parenting Perspective 

In a home dominated by screen entertainment, traditional storytelling can seem unappealing to children. Yet, it remains one of the most powerful tools for building imagination, connection, and family values. To reintroduce it, start by making storytelling a relaxed and casual part of your routine. You could begin by sharing a brief, funny story from your day before inviting your child to do the same. Keeping it light and short at first ensures it does not feel like a chore that is competing with their screen time. 

Weave Storytelling into Daily Routines 

Instead of scheduling a formal ‘storytime’, try to weave storytelling into your existing routines. Car journeys, mealtimes, or the moments before bed are perfect opportunities for this. Use fun, open-ended prompts to spark imagination, such as, ‘If our family was a team of superheroes, what would our name be?’ or, ‘What do you think our dog dreams about?’ When these moments feel spontaneous and playful, children begin to look forward to them. 

Make it a Family Affair 

To enrich the experience, make storytelling a family affair. Occasionally invite other family members, like siblings or grandparents, to share their own tales. Hearing a variety of voices and styles keeps the tradition feeling fresh and helps to embed it as a normal, cherished part of your family culture. 

Spiritual Insight 

The Quran and the Sunnah both place immense value on storytelling as a method for teaching, connecting, and inspiring faith. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Yusuf (12), Verse 111: 

‘ Without any doubt, there is in their narratives (of the perished nations) a lesson for the people endowed with understanding; this (Quran) is not a narration which is invented (by any man), however it is confirmation of (the previous Revelations) which have been sent before the (Quran); and an explanation of everything (that is in existence) and comprehensive guidance and infinite mercy for those nations that are believers…’ 

This powerful verse from the end of the story of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) reminds us that stories are far more than mere entertainment. They are a divine method of teaching wisdom, offering guidance, and inspiring the hearts of those who reflect. 

It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 3461, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Convey from me, even if it is one verse, and narrate from the Children of Israel, and there is no harm in that. And whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hellfire.’ 

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself used storytelling as a primary teaching tool, sharing lessons from past nations and vivid examples to strengthen faith and impart moral wisdom. This demonstrates the immense value of narration as a way to connect and learn. 

By keeping your family’s storytelling warm, inclusive, and free from pressure, you can gently guide your child’s heart towards valuing the magic of shared stories as much as, if not more than, the content on a screen.