I’d heard about this idea – to use made-up stories as a parenting technique – many times. I’d heard about how made-up stories can be really effective at teaching a child something, or coaching them through their emotions, because they appeal to a child’s imagination and playfulness. But to be honest, I’d always dragged my feet on actually trying the made-up story technique. I consider myself a creative person, but I find that simply navigating a day with young people – with all the negotiating and play-acting and selflessness that that requires – saps all the creative energy out of me. I felt I just didn’t have enough left in me at the end of the day.