Question: My children love books and stories. I would love to help them create their own stories. Do you have any helpful tips?

Answer: It’s fun when a book or movie captures a child’s imagination and stimulates original, creative thinking. Children’s own stories are often delightful and full of action. Here are some simple steps to help your child “tell a book.”

• Get a wire-bound notebook and a pen.

• Set aside a 20-minute time period documenting your child’s story whenever your child is in the mood.

• Shut off your cell phone.

• Write verbatim, exactly as your child tells the story.

• Keep the grammatical structure and invented words as your child tells the story.

• Read the story back to your child when it is finished.

• Read often from the notebook, along with any other books from your child’s own collection.

• Encourage your child to draw illustrations for the story or take pictures that match the storyline. Include pictures of your child author.

• Collect several favorite stories, add the drawings or photos and send them to favorite relatives or put them away for birthday or holiday gifts.

If you would like to talk about the challenges in raising children, call the toll-free Parent WarmLine at 1-888-584-2204/Linea de Apoyo at 1-877-434-9528. For free emergency child care call Crisis Nursery at 1-877-434-9599. Check out www.familiesandcommunities.org and “Positive Self-Talk for Children” (Author Douglas Bloch).