DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE
MEMORY OF THE FAMILY
CONVERSATION AT THE DINNER
TABLE?
THOSE FAMILY STORIES, WE ALL
EXPERIENCE THEM.
IT'S MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT OR
IDLE CHATTER.
WE ARE FINDING OUT THERE ARE
VERY POSITIVE BENEFITS.
JOINING US IS KIERSTIN
LINFIELD.
I LOVE THIS TOPIC.
I SPENT TIME WITH MY FAMILY
RECENTLY.
THERE WERE A LOT OF FAMILY
STORIES.
MAYBE SOME OF THEM DIDN'T
ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
IT WAS A GREAT TIME SITTING
AROUND AND REMINISCING.
HERE'S WHAT'S INTERESTING
ABOUT THE IDEA DID IT REALLY
HAPPEN?
IF YOU HAVE THREE PEOPLE IN THE
ROOM YOU MAY HAVE THREE
DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE
STORY.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS IT
DOESN'T MATTER HOW TRUE THE
STORY IS.
WHAT MATTERS IS THE CREATING
AND THE TELLING OF THE STORY.
THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF
RESEARCH INTO THIS TYPE OF
STORYTELLING.
RESEARCHERS BREAK IT DOWN IN
THE THREE CATEGORIES?
THERE IS THE CELEBRATORY
STORY, STORIES OF PERSISTENCE,
YOU WON OUT IN THE END.
THEN CAUTIONARY TALES, THEN
STORIES THAT HELP CREATE
IDENTITY, LIKE WHO ARE YOU WE
WHERE DID YOU COME FROM WE WHAT
WERE THEY LIKE?
WHERE WERE THEY FROM? PEOPLE
ASK THESE ORIGINS STORIES ALL
THE TIME.
WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO GO INTO
JOURNALISM?
I CAN TELL YOU THE PRECISE
MOMENT.
IS THAT TRUE OR NIGHT?
IT HAPPEN, IS IT TRUE.
IS IT EXACTLY, NO, IT'S NEVER
THE TOTAL PICTURE.
THE STORY HOLDS MEANING TO ME
AND MAYBE THAT'S PART OF IT,
TOO.
THE STORIES ARE GOOD FOR THOSE
OF US TELLING THEM.
THEY ARE ALSO GOOD.
KIDS.
THEY WILL HEAR THAT STORY.
MY KIDS HAVE HEARD ALL OF MY
STORIES 1 MILLION TIMES. I
FEEL LIKE OFTEN TOPS, THE DAD
WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON THE
STORIES.
I FEEL LIKE THERE IS SOME
BENEFIT FOR YOU FOR THAT STORY
TELLER. THAT'S THE
INTERESTING THING.
THE RESEARCH IS CLEAR THAT FOR
CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS THERE
IS ALL SORTS, LESS DEPRESSION,
LESS ANXIETY.
JUST BY TELLING THESE
STORIES? THE KIDS TO KNOW
MORE ABOUT THE FAMILY
BACKGROUND, THE MORE PARENTS
ELABORATE ON WHAT HAPPENED,
YES, THAT WAS REALLY SAD WHEN
GRANDPA LOST HIS JOB IN THE
DEPRESSION AND HAD TO PACK UP
THE WAGON AND GO TO CALIFORNIA,
BUT WHAT HAPPENED IS GRANDPA
STARTED IN ELECTRONICS STORE IN
THE '50S. ARE THERE CERTAIN
STORIES THAT ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE SHOULD
KNOW THESE ARE THE KINDS OF
STORIES TO MAKE SURE TO TELL
YOUR KIDS? AGAIN, THE STORIES
AROUND WE PERSEVERED, THESE ARE
IMPORTANT STORIES, AROUND
RESILIENCE.
THIS MAY SOUND WEIRD BUT REALLY
JUST TELLING YOUR KIDS THESE
STORIES IS GOOD FOR BOTH YOU
AND THEM.
PARENTS WILL SAY THAT'S NOT THE
IMPORTANT THING, THE IMPORTANT
THING IS WE GET YOU TO SOCCER
ON TIME.
NOT THAT THOSE THINGS ARE NOT
IMPORTANT, BUT THE STORIES ARE
NOT JUST A WAY TO PASS THE
TIME, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS YOU
ARE CREATING FAMILY BOND.
YOU STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS.
EVEN IF YOU ARE SO TIRED OR
GRUMPY STILL TELL THE STORY.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES
IS WHEN MY PARENTS MET EACH
OTHER.
THEY WERE LIVING IN AN
APARTMENT BUILDING AND MY DAD
LIED TO HER AND SAID HE NEEDED
A TYPEWRITER.
I HELD ON TO THAT STORY.
WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT IS
YOUR FATHER WAS INTERESTED IN
YOUR MOTHER AND CAME UP WITH
SOMETHING IN ORDER TO MEET HER.
SHE WAS SO WORTH IT.
THAT'S THE LESSON THE KID TAKES
AWAY.
THERE IS A REAL, MY PARENTS
LOVE IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT
WE SEE OR DON'T SEE IN THE DAY
TODAY.
IT GOES BACK. AND WE THINK
ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF HOW WE
IMAGINE OUR FUTURES.
HOW WILL IT HAPPEN FOR ME?
WILL I MEET SOMEBODY I LOVE?
WILL HE BE AS INTERESTED IN
ME? WILL HE MAKE UP A