Thank you Allstate for sponsoring this post. I chose to write this post because doing good in local communities is at Allstate’s core.

I think it’s just about raising kids and watching them grow up – and grow a bit more independent each day. Once you get out of the swirl and whirl of diaper changes, naps, and feedings, you’re left with the core of your life. Love. Work. Meaning. Dreaming. Once Des grew out of the preschooler stage, it hit me that we still have many vivid and gorgeous years of parenting to go. We live in New England and get to raise our kids in such a cool area. I love teaching them about a quieter life of meaning. It’s sort of amazing how much they teach us, and how much we teach them.

Not just us as parents, but the brands we align ourselves with and introduce into our lives, like Allstate, affect our children.

Allstate believes in youth empowerment – and you know what? I do too. I love the way they look to inspire the next generation through community projects that empower young people to become the next generation of leaders and change-makers. Their dedication to the communities in which they live and work is core to who they are.

In this day and age, while it seems harder to raise change-makers, I think my kids and their friends are ambitious, kind, and ready to take on the world. It helps when they have the tools, guidance and support they need from us.

Allstate also believes that young people are creating change, rather than waiting for change to happen. In this video, you can see that kids are lending their hands, hearts and voices to their communities. Not only are they making change, but they’re building critical social and emotional learning skills – like problem-solving, empathy, and teamwork as well.

This video sparked wonderful conversations with my kids about the ideas they have for our community, and it made me realize that while I have a lot to teach them, they are teaching me and inspiring me every single day. It makes a difference!

5 Ways my Kids Inspire Me to Make a Difference Every Day:

1 – They inspire me to be a leader. I’ve never been a natural born leader, or a follower for that matter. I’ve always been a lone wolf. That said, when you’re making decisions for other living beings, you discover leadership skills!

2 – They inspire me to be creative. Adults sometimes lose the ability to think outside the box, but kids can think of a million different ways to do one thing. It inspires me to never think, “This won’t work” or “It has to be THIS way.”

3 – They inspire youthfulness. I’m constantly reminded what it’s like to be young and carefree again – and to thrive on exploration. I love waking up in the morning and just being excited for the day ahead. It becomes contagious and I believe it makes me a better human and I hopefully help make others get excited for their own adventures.

4 – They inspire eagerness to learn. My kids remind me of what it’s like to just be excited to learn every day. Not memorize, but truly learn. How amazing is it that you can never stop learning and growing and trying new things?

5 – They inspire a sense of humor. Sometimes you just need to laugh at yourself in order to move on. Putting a smile on someone’s face, or making them laugh, is priceless and it truly makes a difference in everyday life.

How do your kids inspire you to make a difference every day?

This post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are mine. As the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most–but to guiding people to live the Good Life, every day.