Tutorial: How to Tell Scary Stories to Your Kids

Aren't online tutorials fun?  I usually read tutorials that are about sewing or knitting or making something for cheap at home.  But I've never read one on how to scare your kids.

It all started when I was making spaghetti pie for dinner.  My kids always complain about my cooking.  So when IJ started asking what I was making, I called it graveyard pie.  That, followed by a recitation of The Hearse Song started the spooky story telling (just with IJ though-S was outside and the rest are too young).

Boys reading poetry, not scary stories

I pulled out my old Scary Stories books from when I was a kid and asked what kind of story he wanted to hear: the scary ones or the funny ones.  He chose scary (of course) so I tried to read some of the "scarier" versions...with no luck.  So, without him knowing, I switched to a boring, repetitive story that had a surprise scream ending and he jumped a mile!  It was awesome!  So, if you need to scare Mr. Know-it-All, surprise him with the ole bait and switch.

Now, if you want to scare a more innocent type...like S for instance, just take a normal scary story and switch the characters names for people you know (or yourself) and tell them that every word of the story is true.  I'll be telling S a great tale about the time his dad took me on a date to the beach.  I've done this with  a version of The Phantom Hitchhiker too.

Anyway, I have to get the boys ready for an upcoming sleepover....just kidding C!  No scary stories there!  IJ is actually preparing for the spring Cub Scout camp out coming up in May.  He has become interested in public performances ever since his successful Blue and Gold experience.  Everyone at scouts is tired of the same ole boys getting up and rambling about the grossest things they can think of for fifteen minutes and calling it a ghost story.  IJ wants to be prepared with a classic!