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It’s hard enough to get kids to brush their teeth and make their bed, let alone get them involved in doing family history and genealogy!
But involving your children or youth in doing their family history is important! Why ?
why get the kids involved?
1st: Children possess an innate desire to know WHY!
Things like: Why do we go to that church, why do I have brown eyes, why do we live in North Carolina, why do I have to brush my teeth, why do I have to go to bed when I am not tired, why did grandma know so much about chickens, why did grandpa have a funny accent , why can’t I eat ice cream right before bed , why did dad’s old relatives join the wagon trains and walk to California, why did grandma have an outhouse until she was a teenager,…
Many of these questions can all be asked in one breath if your child is about 4 :).
2nd: A sense of belonging is especially important for children and youth. A knowledge about their family history gives children of all ages a sense of their place in the world. It can also give young people something to live up to—a legacy to respect.
3rd: Family history provides an opportunity for children and teenagers to make a meaningful contribution to something bigger than themselves.
So the next logical question is HOW.
How do we get our children to join in our efforts and contribute meaningfully? Here are some ideas and activities that you can plan to help them experience the joys of doing family history. These ideas can help them get involved with finding who they are and what they can become. Give them the skills to continue on the work and delve deep into what makes them special.
basic family tree
An easy pedigree chart that can help them see the basics. There is something about looking at the names and dates that kind of gives you a thrill and makes you think “I wonder how much farther back I could go?”. It is a rabbit hole, and it all starts with a simple family tree. You could also make a family tree (check Pinterest they have a ton of great ideas!) You can then upload your information to one of the many genealogy websites available online today.
tell stories
Telling your children stories of when you were growing up always seem to be fascinating to them.
I remember telling my son about some of the television shows I watched as a kid.
He was shocked.
Then he asked if my television was in black and white or color. Tell stories about your grandparents or great grandparents. It is fun to reminisce and they realize just how much the world has changed. They can also see how much the world has stayed the same too.
family reunions
GO TO OR HOST A FAMILY REUNION: Have them meet their relatives! At our family reunions we usually have photo albums and lots of opportunities for people to talk . Kids have a chance to talk and hear the old stories and learn more about what makes their family unique. Look through old photo and tell stories. Have them talk and ask questions. Family reunions are a great place for those family interviews to take place!
help others by indexing
TEACH THEM TO INDEX : Family Search Indexing has a lot of easy records that can be indexed. It is taking a scanned document and typing in all the names and dates on the document. This helps create a searchable database online for others to use. It is free, you just need to register an account. Some of the easier indexing projects would be great for young teenagers. The WWI and WWII muster rolls typically don’t require looking at old penmanship and cursive writing .
organize your photos together
TEACH THEM PHOTO ORGANIZATION. Scanning, digital storage, scrapbooking, or box organization is something you can do together. Teaching your children how to organize photos fulfills a two fold purpose. Firstly, you are teaching them the proper way to label, organize and store photos properly for future generations. Secondly, as you are going through the photos , you can share the stories and people that go along with it. As they start to put faces to the names and stories, they will feel a deeper connection. With that connection can come a desire to know more.
Plan history inspired trips
GO ON FAMILY HISTORY FIELDTRIPS OR VACATIONS: . A family history field trip could be across the country or just down the street. Visit places your ancestors lived or worked. Visit graveyards. Go to museums or living history exhibits. Try historically re-created villages and historical farms that show how your ancestors lived. Visit the battlefields that they fought or died on. Celebrate your family’s ethnic heritage at a cultural festival. Use an Internet search engine to help you find festivals and living history exhibits in your area.
put their cellphone to good use
Try the BILLION GRAVE HEADSTONES PROJECT. Almost every teenager on the planet has a cellphone with a nice camera capability. They can help by taking photos of headstones and then transcribing the names and dates on the images. BillionGraves’ mission is to preserve the world’s cemeteries, one headstone at a time. Each gravestone is marked with a GPS location, making them readily available for free for millions of families around the globe for genealogical research for generations to come. Find out HERE how to volunteer and take photos of headstones and upload them!
journaling
ENCOURAGE THEM TO KEEP A JOURNAL: People take Journaling too seriously sometimes. It isnt just for deep thoughts, or world changing philosophies. A daily journal can be anything! What happened, the weather, how much money they spent, who they saw, a funny joke or story they heard. They can keep a blog online (blogspot, wordpress etc) , or use an online journaling platform like Jrnl.com. You can just use good old Microsoft word or google docs or Apple Pages.
not tech savvy? Try a handwritten journal. Bullet Journals are very popular now. Check pinterest for easy Bullet Journal instructions and ideas.
When my grandmother passed away we found the bottom drawer of her dresser full of old journals.
She used those 5 year journals. Each day you write the date, the weather and a sentence or two of a highlight. It was over 50 years worth!
It wasn’t long and drawn out, but it had just a few tidbits and from the day.
Each of us went through and found our birthdays. We wanted to see what she had written down and what happened on that day. I know it was hot and sunny, she made baked beans and saw deer on her walk at the park.
I also saw what she wrote when her husband of 53 years passed away. 5 little words that almost broke my heart.
I felt connected to my grandmother just by reading through some of those brief passages.
what about you?
What else can you think of?
