If you’ve ever told your kids the story of how you met — or if they’ve ever begged for it again at bedtime — you’ve already seen a little magic at work.

There’s something almost irresistible about origin stories.
Kids lean in. Their eyes widen. They ask the same questions over and over:

“So what did Dad say next?”
“Did you like Mom right away?”
“Wait… you almost didn’t meet?”

It feels sweet and sentimental, but here’s the part most people don’t realize:

Knowing these stories actually helps children grow into more confident, resilient human beings.

And that’s not just a nice idea — it’s backed by some of the most influential family-psychology research in the last 20 years.

In the mid-2000s, Emory University researchers Dr. Marshall Duke and Dr. Robyn Fivush created a list of twenty simple questions they called the “Do You Know?” scale.

One of those questions — front and center — was:

“Do you know how your parents met?”

They asked children how many of the questions they could answer… and then they measured things like self-esteem, emotional well-being, anxiety levels, and how well they handled stress.

The results were stunning:

Kids who knew more about their family stories were more resilient, more confident, and more emotionally grounded.

This included stories from every corner of the family — but the biggest impact came from knowing how their parents began.

Your love story.

The one that started everything.

When a child knows how their parents met — the twists, the almost-misses, the sweet moments, the awkward moments — something powerful clicks into place:

1. They feel rooted.

It gives them a sense of, “This is where I come from. This is the beginning of us.”
It’s the emotional version of planting both feet on solid ground.

2. They see love as something real and lived, not abstract.

Kids don’t need perfect stories.
They need true ones.
Stories where real people met, made choices, and built a life together.

3. They learn that life includes faith, courage, and timing — and that they themselves are part of that unfolding story.

Even simple lines like, “I almost skipped that party,” or “He nearly walked away before saying hello,” teach kids that life can pivot on small moments… yet good things still find us.

4. They inherit your emotional resilience

When they hear about the early bumps you overcame together — the little misunderstandings, the nerves, the surprises — they start to internalize:

“My family figures things out.
My parents did hard things.
I can do hard things too.”

That inner belief is gold for emotional stability.

Kids might not ask for a lecture on family identity, but they will absolutely ask:

• “Where were you when you first saw each other?”
• “Did you know right away?”
• “Who talked first?”
• “What did you think of Mom? What did you think of Dad?”

That curiosity is about more than entertainment.

They’re gathering clues about their world… and about themselves.

In a gentle, almost invisible way, your beginning becomes the scaffolding for their sense of belonging.

Please hear this:
You do not need a whirlwind romance, a movie-worthy meet-cute, or a story full of fireworks.

Most families don’t.
And that’s perfectly okay.

Kids don’t fall in love with spectacle.
They fall in love with specifics.

A funny detail.
A nervous moment.
A kind gesture.
The way you describe the look on your spouse’s face when they first saw you.

These are the moments that stay with them — and shape them.

When the researchers described their findings, they used a phrase I love:

Family stories help children develop a “strong intergenerational self.”
A sense that they belong to something that existed before them… and will continue after them.

That’s the emotional anchor kids don’t even know they’re reaching for — and we, as parents and grandparents, are the only ones who can hand it to them.

If you’ve never written down the story of how you met — or if it’s been a while since you thought about it — consider this your invitation.

Not because it needs to be perfect.
Not because you need to publish it.
But because someone you love may someday need the strength that comes from knowing where they come from.

Start with one moment:

• The first hello
• The first spark
• The almost-missed chance
• The moment you realized they were different
• The detail you’ll never forget

Write it the way you’d tell it to someone who adores you.

Because someday, someone will.

And that simple story — your story — might become the very thing that helps them feel secure, grounded, and wonderfully connected to the family you built.

This is exactly why I wrote Write Your Love Story (coming in 2026)— a gentle, fun, structured way to remember your moments, organize your memories, and shape your story into something beautiful you can keep, share, or rediscover anytime you need a spark.

Until next time,

Tami