TV presenter Gail Porter has come a long way since a photo of her bottom was projected on to the House of Commons.
She's spoken openly about her battles with stress and post natal depression, which led to her developing alopecia and losing her hair. But things seem to be on the up now, and she's recently been installed as the temporary replacement for Suzi Perry (who is recovering from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy) on The Gadget Show.
Gail's also been supporting the Munch Bunch storytelling campaign to find six of the best new bedtime stories, written by parents. These stories can now be downloaded as podcasts (narrated by Gail) via this link.
But if you'd rather make up your own bedtime stories, read on for Gail's tips on how to get your imagination flowing.
Gail says that it can be easier than you think to make up original bedtime stories to amuse your children.
You can:
- Keep a box of objects and use them as props to help you create a story
- Think of something fun you did during the day and introduce some characters to embellish the story
- Think of a funny story that happened when you were young. You'll be surprised at how this can amuse your little ones
- Using different voices can make children laugh and also helps them differentiate between the characters in your story
- You don't always have to start at the beginning, this can be the hardest part. Instead think of what the story is leading to, an interesting event or outcome, then build on it
Don't think that you have to be a professional storyteller or actor to tell original stories to your children. Sometimes a very simple true tale of something naughty you did as a child, or what your family did on their holidays, can be all it takes to entertain your audience.