Telling a better story

Learning to tell a better story helps us raise successful kids because the way we describe a situation determines how much power we have to change it. The good news is, there are multiple, true ways to tell any story. For example, your kids say there is nothing to eat. You say “I just bought $400 worth of groceries.” Your child’s version feels true to them because they were hoping there was still leftover pizza. So when they tell you there is nothing to eat, they don’t notice the cereal, the sandwich fixings, and the burrito bowls. Perspective matters. Storytelling also plays out in the ways we talk about ourselves and our children. If you tell the story that your teen is irresponsible, you limit your ability to help them become more responsible. You get more of what you expect, so why not expect more? This week I’m going to show you how to expect more, by telling your stories in constructive ways. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: Hear how the same story told three different ways takes me from stumbling alcoholic to excited friend to concerned citizen. Learn how the stories we tell reinforces themselves and create more of the same. Show how the story we tell limits the solutions we think of and how changing the story expands the available solutions.