Tracing your family’s roots back even a few generations can
be a challenging experience. However, it is worth the effort because it can
have a big impact on your children’s lives. Here are three reasons to create a
family tree for your kids.
1. It Gives Them an Interest in History
For a lot of kids, history is a boring subject. It’s a story
about things that happened a long time ago, and kids are all about now and the
future. When you study your own family history, it helps put things in
perspective on a larger scale.
Perhaps you have a great-great-great-grandfather who fought
in the Civil War or a great-great-uncle who was a soldier in World War I.
Suddenly, these aren’t just stories about people who are dead now. They are
stories about your family. The soldiers who marched through heat and cold
aren’t strangers; they’re family. Learning about history is a lot more fun if
you’re involved in some way and a family tree can tie that in.
2. It Gives Them an Interest in Their Own History
When kids learn about their own family tree, it helps them
understand more about who they are. They can see that their red hair and
freckles go way back to great-great-grandmother Bonnie. Or perhaps the only
other person who was short in the family besides them was
great-great-great-grandmother Alice.
Learning about their family history can help them develop a
better sense of who they are and why they look and act the way they do. It also
enhances their feeling of stability and security as they see they are part of
something bigger.
3. It Helps Them Remember People Who are Important to the
Family
As kids grow up, family members pass away. They may forget
what great-aunt Anna looks like or how grandfather Bill laughed. While you can
tell stories about family members who passed away when the kids were young or
even before they were born, these stories will have more meaning if they can be
placed in correct association.
For example, say your grandfather was one of eight children.
Your child may only know or remember two or three of them. Others are just
names that lose their meaning and place in the family without a family tree to
help them remember. When your dad talks about Uncle Phil, your kids will
understand who he means and pay more attention to the stories. Instead of just
words, they will be able to imagine their granddad as a boy, sitting on Uncle
Phil’s lap listening to his jokes.
You don’t have to create an extravagant or complicated
family tree for it to be of value to the kids. A simple diagram will work
wonders to help them make the right connections. However, the more information
you can add, including photos, will help them remember who this person was and
why they are part of the family. To help you get started, look for free online family tree templates.
What tips or ideas can you share for creating a family tree with your kids?
