This Spring Break, Ask Your Children to Tell You a Story

As a corporate storyteller and copywriter, words are my playground. I would flip through our 30,000-pound, hard-covered dictionary as a child, my finger landing on random words. This is how I learned the word "philoprogenitiveness" (it means a love for one's offspring) at age seven. (My offspring, by the way, cringe when I share this quirky childhood indulgence😂.)

In 2016, I launched my passion project: a young author's program for middle schoolers called Your Extraordinary Story. With spring break coming up, here's why it's important to encourage your children to write for fun:

1. The more you write, the more confident you are to create ideas, solutions and strategies for success. Creative confidence is an immeasurable gift.

2. Growing up is challenging. Writing helps youth reframe relationships, outcomes and their vision.

3. Writing taps your top superpower: imagination.

4. Writing = joy.

5. Writing is empowering. For middle schoolers, this is important. It's a time when blending in is top priority! Writing sets you apart because of your ideas -- without judgement.

This spring break, ask your children to tell YOU a story. Check out YES in March.