How An Absent Nana Can Still Read Her Grandchildren A Bedtime Story

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

12 April, 2011

How An Absent Nana Can Still Read Her Grandchildren A Bedtime Story

Parents and grandparents anywhere in the world can now share a vital communication link with their children thanks to a new social media web site.

www.Storiesmynanatells.com is a resource for families with children aged seven to 12 years, which encourages everyone to get online and share stories.

Founder and Australian children’s author Lesley Dewar said absent grandparents and parents could share a bedtime story with children online, via the web site and Skype.

“Stories My Nana Tells provides a regular and unique connection between adults and children in a fun and entertaining way at any time of the day or night,” said Mrs Dewar.

“It’s a great way to keep families connected, especially given the high number of American parents who now work long hours or are in a fly-in-fly-out job,” she said. “The mining and oil industries are now global employment options.”

“Sharing a bed time story is an excellent way for children to overcome the anxiety of separation.”

Each story on the web site includes eight to 12 questions with links to internet research sites, encouraging reading and learning in a family environment.

Mrs Dewar researches and writes all of the stories that are suited for children aged seven to 12 years and takes her own photographs.

“My stories will spark their curiosity, entertain and educate them,” she said.

“I write about pets, travel, and nature, unique and unusual things.”

Mrs Dewar said at a time when an increasing number of women in the United States were starting their own small businesses the web site provided a valuable means for families to remain united.

“There’s an increasing expectation that grandparents will be on hand to help with the children while women work longer hours to get their businesses moving,” she said.

In 2010, Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute released an insightful report on women and small business.

The research said women-owned small businesses will create an estimated 5.5 million jobs in the United States by 2018.

This is roughly one-third of the 15.3 million total jobs created in that period as projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Historically, Los Angeles has been a strong market for women business owners.

To access a new story every two weeks, families purchase a membership subscription for the Stories My Nana Tells Website.

Membership also includes:

• Free activities,
• Sample stories,
• Ongoing introductions to featured characters, including Lesley Dewar’s 93 year old father,
• An online WordPress blog, where moderated comments and questions can be posted.

Because of legal age restrictions, the popular Facebook page, (www.facebook.com/storiesmynanatells ) and Twitter account (www.twitter.com/nanastories) are only available to persons over the age of 13.

To help parents monitor internet safety, logging on to the premium site requires both a membership number and a password.

Each story (which is delivered as in Adobe® PDF format) has links to well-researched, appropriate websites which can be monitored by parents through their membership of Stories My Nana Tells. A full year’s subscription for Stories My Nana Tells is AU$132 or by monthly payments of AU$15, on direct debit. This is great value for these priceless stories and the joy families will experience in sharing them together.

Parents can also join the Members only group for Stories My Nana Tells at www.notallpoppies.com where they can network and share their own experiences, with no further charges.

Lesley Dewar Background

Really happy with my new New York hairdo - ideal for travelling around the USA and Canada

Lesley Dewar has recently made a lifestyle change, after a very successful career in sales, real estate and financial planning services spanning over 40 years. She is an Australian grandmother, based in Perth, an avid surfer of the net, a published writer and the author of Stories My Nana Tells; she is constantly travelling, browsing, researching and uncovering the unusual. In April, 2011, she will be travelling to the USA and Canada  in search of new experiences and adventures. This includes doing an eleven city tour on her own, showcasing her new business.

Mrs Dewar will be attending the Los Angeles Women’s Small Business Expo on April 27, 2011 with other women from Women’s Network Australia before going on to New York and Toronto where she has a married son who migrated from Australia to Canada, via Ireland. This is her fourth trip, on her own, around the world.

After Los Angeles and Toronto, she will be visiting Montreal, Detroit, Cleveland, New York, Burlington NC, Miami Fl, Dallas TX, San Diego CA, San Francisco and Vancouver CA. “The six week trip will end with a rail journey across the Rockies,” Mrs Dewar said. “Being so close, ending the tour in San Francisco, it made sense to go on up to Vancouver.  I have always wanted to see the Rockies.”

She has been bungy jumping in New Zealand; flown in helicopters across icy mountains and rocky deserts; trekked across a volcano crater, been white water rafting in Bali and swimming with dolphins in Hawaii – Travel, health, family, pets and quirky ideas make Stories My Nana Tells very engaging for the whole family. Her stories are very well received.

“It’s a really hilarious “investigative” story, and I’m thrilled to be mentioned along with the authors of a number of very prominent Velcro (TM) applications! With many thanks for your message & story, Lev Neymotin- Physicist, New York (via email) PS: Internet makes our continents so close, as if they never split…”

Lesley is recognised as an Australian expert on Social Media and has published her first eBook Networking To A Plan (http://networkingtoaplan.com) which discusses how to use Twitter and email to support face to face networking for business. This book has had wide international success, with internet distribution across the world including the USA. She is a member of LinkedIn, writes for the Australian ABC Technology website as their #SilverSurfer and networks face to face and online.

ENDS

Media Contact: Lesley Dewar,              Mobile ph: 61 (0) 417 915502           email: lesleydewar@bigpond.com

alternative email:  storiesmynanatells@bigpond.com

More information: www.storiesmynanatells.com