Tell Bedtime Stories Starring Your Kids

If your child keeps asking for one more story and you are out of ideas, your muse can write new bedtime stories that star your own family, in English, in your home language, or in both side by side. A parent used it to make a whole set of bilingual stories for his daughter, and she got to be the hero of every one.

What it does

The muse writes original stories on whatever theme your child is into this week, and casts your family members as the characters. If you want the story in two languages, it can do that, with both versions printed together so you can read the one you are comfortable with. It can add simple illustrations to go with the story, and it can quietly work in something they are learning, like how day and night work or why sharing matters.

How to use it

1. Open your muse and describe your child: their name, their age, and what they are obsessed with right now.
2. Say what language you want: "Write a bedtime story starring Maya where she explores the ocean. Write it in English and Spanish, side by side."
3. Ask for pictures if you want them: "Add a simple illustration for each part of the story."
4. Read the story yourself first, then read it to them. Tell the muse what to change, and it remembers for next time.

What you need

• A muse app account
• Nothing else. No special setup, no connections, no payments.

What to watch for

Always read the story before you read it to your child, especially the version in the language you do not speak. The second-language text can have rough spots, and you want to catch those before bedtime. The pictures sometimes come back with odd faces or extra fingers, which kids find funny more often than scary, but look first anyway. If you share the stories with grandparents or friends, leave your child's full name off the shared copy. And no story the muse writes replaces you telling one badly in your own voice now and then. That is still the one they will remember.