Pence grew up with her parents and siblings in Columbus, Indiana.[6] Her father Mike encouraged her to be a writer and "cherished" a biography she wrote of him when she was 7.[7] Her mother Karen said that she was a storyteller since she could talk.[8]:1 Pence described her family as "very, very close" and said that "[they] talk about everything together".[6] She said that she and her siblings could choose how involved in politics they would be;[6] Pence told Ben Shapiro in an interview in 2018 that as children they could be included in an event only if they wanted to.[9] She said that they have political debates in their house and on the phone.[8]:1[10]:31