How to pass family history onto grandkids
One of the great benefits of being a grandparent is being able to pass on a sense of family history to our children and grandkids. We are in such a good position to be able to teach them about who they are based on where they came from. It doesn’t have to be working on the family tree together (although that might be fun for older grandchildren), there are plenty of ways to explore your family history in an age appropriate way.
Researchers have even found that children who understand their family history have a more positive view of themselves than those who know nothing or only a little about their family.
Try one of these ideas to bring your family history to life for your grandchildren.
Create a photo wall
Whether it’s one large frame, or a series of photos, you can create a special area that is full of family photos. Talk to your grandkids about who’s who and what they did for a job, what sort of person they were, and what made them unique.
Be a story teller
Make a point of telling stories to your grandkids about different people in the family. It might be the story of the first dog you ever had as a child, or a bit about how their great grandfather built the family home.
Make a family photo album
Either online or in printed form, being able to flick through old photographs with your grandchildren is a fun way to talk to them about family history. Kids also like looking for similarities and differences, so you could point these out to them, such as ‘look, your great aunt has curly blonde hair just like you.’
Conduct an interview
A fun way to make some written memories is to ‘interview’ people in your family (get the grandkids to help) and make a book to read again and again. You might need to write letters or emails, make phone calls, Skype someone overseas – but find a way to connect with the living relatives you have in order to get the information.
Look at old family documents
If you have any old letters, birth certificates, recipe books, or written stories – share these with your grandchildren when they are the right age to appreciate them.
Put together a family recipe book
If food is part of your family culture, consider compiling a book of your family’s favourite recipes. Better yet, once you’ve finished you can prepare a few of them with your grandchildren.
Take a trip
Once your grandchildren are old enough, take them on a trip to a relevant place to explore their family history. It might be a town where their cousins live, a forest where their relatives used to camp, or a farm that used to belong to a long lost uncle.
What creative ideas have you used in order to share your family’s history? We would love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Related links:
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Sibling rivalries in my childhood shaped who I am today
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