Use Your Own Experiences as Bedtime Stories
Children love to hear about your “adventures” and experiences when you were a child. They need to hear about your mistakes and what you learned from them. They also need to hear about your successes and to know that you experienced many of the same things that they experience every day–i.e., fear, insecurity, good and bad friendships, bullies, a desire to have or do something, dreams about the future, etc.
Use the following guide to help stir your memory and to find Scripture verse that might match some of the stories you have to share:
What is something that worried you as a child?
- Share with your child an important verse about worry: Philippians 4:6
What is something you were scared of as a child?
- Share with your child an important verse about fear: Psalm 56:3
What is something you enjoyed doing as a child?
- Share with your child an important verse about the things you do: Colossians 3:17
Were you ever teased as a child?
- Share with your child an important verse about not doing wrong: Colossians 3:8
Did you ever hurt someone with something you said? How did it make you feel?
- Share with your child an important verse about the things you say: Ephesians 4:29
Did you ever tell a lie as a child? Did you get caught? What did you learn from this?
- Share with your child an important verse about not lying: Colossians 3:9-10
Tell a story about a time you disobeyed your parents? What did you learn from this?
- Share with your child an important verse about obeying your parents: Ephesians 6:1
As a child did you ever have any bad habits?
- Share with your child an important verse about doing everything for God’s glory: 1 Corinthians 10:31
Tell a memory about church as a child?
- Share with your child an important verse about staying in the habit of attending church: Hebrews 10:25
Tell a story about a time you were angry.
- Share with your child an important verse about anger: James 1:19-20
Tell your child about how and when you gave your life to Jesus and was saved?
- Share with your child an important verse about salvation: Romans 10:9, 13
Tell a story about a time when you didn’t get what you wanted as a child. How did you feel? How did you respond? Was this right or wrong?
- Share with your child an important verse about obeying your parents: Colossians 3:20
When was a time that God provided what you needed?
- Share with your child an important verse about how God provides: Philippians 4:19
Can you remember a time when God protected you ?
- Share with your child an important verse about God’s safety: Proverbs 18:10
Tell a story about a time you were tempted.
- Share with your child an important verse about temptation: 1 Corinthians 10:13
Share a story with your child about a time when you needed to ask forgiveness from God.
- Share with your child an important verse about forgiveness: 1 John 1:9
Share a story with your child about a time when you needed to ask forgiveness from a person.
- Share with your child an important verse about forgiving others: Ephesians 4:31-32
When was a time that you needed comfort?
- Share with your child an important verse about comfort: Psalm 46:1-3
Have you faced some tough times where you needed to trust God to “get you through.”
- Share with your child an important verse about trusting God: Proverbs 3:5-6
When was a time that you showed courage?
- Share with your child an important verse about courage: Psalm 27:14
Share a story about your parents.
- Share with your child an important verse about honoring your parents: Ephesians 6:1-3
Did you have any enemies growing up?
- Share with your child an important verse about how to treat your enemies: Matthew 5:44-45
Did you ever treat someone wrong because they treated you wrong? Or, maybe you treated them right even though they treated you wrong?
- Share with your child an important verse about how to treat people who wrong you: Romans 12:18-21
Share about story about a time when someone treated you wrong? How did you respond?
- Share with your child an important verse about how to respond when people treat you wrong: 1 Peter 3:13-16
Have you ever felt alone?
- Share with your child an important verse about being alone a promise that Jesus gave: John 14:18
Share about a time that you needed God’s guidance.
- Share with your child an important verse about God’s guidance: Proverbs 3:5-6
Tell your child about when you were baptized and why? (Be sure to help them understand that baptism is a step of following Jesus after a person is saved, NOT a way of being saved.)
- Share with your child an important verse that shows an example of baptism: Matthew 3:13-17
Have you ever felt jealous?
- Share with your child an important verse about the outcome of jealousy and strife: James 3:16
Share a story with your child about a great day that you’ve had.
- Share with your child an important verse about our days: Psalm 118:24
Share with your child a time when you learned from and listened to God’s Word?
- Share with your child an important verse about the Bible: Psalm 119:105