Let your child learn the art of storytelling, says actor Mithila Palkar

New Delhi, Nov 20 The art of telling stories comes from the privilege of growing up with grandparents and great-grandparents at home, who were storytellers, says actor and storyteller Mithila Palkar. Unlike today's generation, who have access to i-pads while eating, their meal was never completed without parents and grandparents telling them several stories, she shares.

Palkar shares that she only learnt the art of wording her thoughts when compelled by her grandmother.

"If I used to get stubborn about something for example, and start crying about something my grandmother would say stop crying and use your words and tell me what is wrong. These are things that kind of help us word our thoughts. And then, of course, bettering our language and everything comes over time comes with age and experience," she says.

"I say this from a place of privilege as my grandparents gave us the privilege to just say what we thought was and not just mull over or cry over it because then you can find the solution to what our problem is."

In the upcoming Spoken Fest to be held in Mumbai on November 19 and November 20, Palkar will be performing a piece about time spent with her grandparents.

The art of storytelling is hence not learnt but passed on from one generation to another, believes poet and storyteller Priya Malik.

"For instance, my first memories of storytelling are from my dad. My dad used to sit me and my sister down and he used to tell us stories like Ek badha sa bhalu tha jungle me