# A Seat Beside Grandma

- Link: https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/heartwarming-stories-about-the-bond-between-a-grandchild-and-a-grandmother/
- Published: 2026-10-30T02:32:52+05:30
- Author: MAHENDRA MANCHIKALAPATI

[English Language Lab](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/)/[Stories for Kids](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/)/
[Grandma & Make-Believe Prompts](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/)/
A Seat Beside Grandma

✦An original fictional family story

# A Seat Beside Grandma

Nila expects a lively afternoon of stories. When Grandma prefers a quiet rest, they
discover another way to enjoy a story together.

📖 4-minute read🍃 Ages 5–11✨ Companionship and asking what someone prefers

[Begin reading ](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/heartwarming-stories-about-the-bond-between-a-grandchild-and-a-grandmother/#sf-story-text)
[More grandma & make-believe prompts](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/)

![A grandmother and granddaughter enjoy a folded picture story together on a veranda
bench beside a glass of water and flowering pots.](https://thecuriosi.com/wp-content/
uploads/2026/10/seat-beside-grandma-illustration.png)

**Company does not always need many words**Read together · Retell · Imagine

Settle in and read at your pace

A story to read together

## A Seat Beside Grandma

Take your time. Let the story unfold.

Nila arrived at Grandma’s house with three questions and a song she wanted to share.
Usually Grandma met her with a story before she had even taken off her shoes. That
afternoon, Grandma was resting on the veranda bench. “I would like a quieter visit
today,” she said. Nila stopped in the doorway. She had imagined games, songs, and
a long adventure. She was not sure where a quiet afternoon would fit.

Chapter one

### The question beside the bench

Nila’s father brought a glass of water and asked Grandma whether she wanted anything
else before he went to prepare their snack. Nila watched him wait for an answer.
Then she asked a question of her own. “Would you like me to sit with you, or would
you prefer some time alone?” Grandma chose company. Nila settled beside her, leaving
enough room for the cushion. For a little while, they watched a small bird land 
on a flowerpot and tilt its head towards the garden.

Chapter two

### A story with fewer words

The bird gave Nila an idea. She asked whether Grandma would enjoy a picture story.
Grandma nodded. Nila fetched a sheet of paper and folded it into four parts. In 
the first, she drew the bird. In the second, she added a tree. A cloud filled the
third square. She paused before drawing the last one. Grandma pointed towards a 
broad leaf on the nearest plant. Nila drew the bird sheltering beneath it. Their
adventure had arrived without either of them telling a long tale aloud.

Chapter three

### Room for an answer

Nila wanted to explain every detail, but she asked first. Grandma preferred to look
for a while. Later she pointed at the cloud and quietly suggested a little patch
of sunlight behind it. Nila added the light. The story did not belong entirely to
one teller now. It had room for a drawing, a gesture, a short answer, and a pause.
When her father brought the snack, they showed him the four pictures. He guessed
what happened, and Grandma smiled at the bird’s very serious expression.

Chapter four

### The page she left behind

Before going home, Nila asked whether she could leave the picture story on the table.
Grandma liked that idea. Nila still had her song, and there would be another day
to share it if they both wanted to. This visit had not gone as she first planned,
but it had not been empty. On the way to the gate, she looked back at the seat beside
Grandma. It was a place to listen and a place to stay quiet. Both could hold a good
afternoon together.

The end

### Story path

[01The question beside the bench](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/heartwarming-stories-about-the-bond-between-a-grandchild-and-a-grandmother/#sf-chapter-1)
[02A story with fewer words](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/heartwarming-stories-about-the-bond-between-a-grandchild-and-a-grandmother/#sf-chapter-2)
[03Room for an answer](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/heartwarming-stories-about-the-bond-between-a-grandchild-and-a-grandmother/#sf-chapter-3)
[04The page she left behind](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/heartwarming-stories-about-the-bond-between-a-grandchild-and-a-grandmother/#sf-chapter-4)

### Word basket

**companionship**the experience of spending time together

**prefer**to choose or like one option more than another

**gesture**a movement that helps communicate an idea

**pause**a short stop or quiet interval

**Read it together**

This is original fiction about an ordinary restful afternoon. The child offers company
and choice while an adult handles practical needs. Children are not responsible 
for making an adult feel better or filling every quiet moment.

## After the final page

There is no single right answer. Invite young readers to notice, wonder and imagine.

Remember

What did Nila ask before sitting down?

Think

How did Grandma help shape the picture story?

Imagine

What made the quiet visit worthwhile for both of them?

**Make something:** Make a four-picture story with someone who wants to join. Take
turns adding a picture or pointing to an idea, and allow either person to pause.

[← Previous storyThe Jar of Almosts](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/stories-where-a-grandmother-imparts-wisdom/)
[Browse all stories ↗](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/)
[Next story →Grandma’s Rainy-Day Puppy](https://thecuriosi.com/english-language-lab-for-kids/stories-for-kids/grandma-and-make-believe-prompts/stories-about-a-grandmothers-pets-when-she-was-young/)

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