TMIT 02: Family Stories

The Most Important Thing About Family Stories

Why do some individuals grow up with a stronger sense of who they are? In this episode, we explore the research behind family storytelling—how sharing the right kinds of stories at the right times can build resilience, self-esteem, and identity. We even came up with a simple mnemonic—STORY—to help us remember five practical ways to make storytelling a natural, powerful part of everyday life, and we talk about how we will experiment with these ideas both for our children and for ourselves.

STORY Mnemonic

S – Share struggles, not just successes

T – Two-way street

O – Often, not perfect

R – Reveal meaning (not just "what happened")

Y – Your story continues ours

Select Sources:

• • The Stories of Our Lives by Robyn Fivush, Ph.D.
  • “Do You Know?” Scale article (Nov 2016)
  • Family Narratives Lab
  • The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler (2013) ✅