This Christmas, consider inviting the children in your world to be the hero of their own story.

Literally. Just ask them: "Would you like to be the hero of your own story?"

465 children later, every single one has said yes.

Why it works: Children absolutely love the opportunity to create a world where anything is possible and share their imagination with someone who genuinely listens.

But here's the key difference between this and typical "creative writing time":

It's not a homework exercise. It's not about spelling and grammar. It's not about getting it "right."

You become the scribe. You write down exactly what they say, exactly as they say it.

They do one executive function. Just one: sharing their imagination with you.

The StoryQuest framework: This approach comes from physiotherapy listening techniques, the same rapport-building, permission-giving framework used in clinical settings. You're not correcting. You're capturing.

When children only have to manage one cognitive task (imagining) rather than multiple tasks simultaneously (imagining + spelling + handwriting + grammar + punctuation), something remarkable happens.

They create freely. They engage completely. They say yes.

This Christmas: While they're home and the academic pressure is off, you have a window. No marking. No assessment. No red pen.

Just you, your child, and the question: "Would you like to be the hero of your own story?"

465 children have said yes. Every single one.

What will yours say?

What story do YOU want to tell?