I worked in a gym daycare when my kids were small. There was a little girl who used to come in and tell me stories about her grandma. She would tell me how her Grandma and Grandpa met, and funny stories from their youth. I realized I hadn’t told my own kids anything about my parents or grandparents. I started telling them family stories as bedtime stories. They loved them.
I recently read, Barking up the Wrong Tree, by Eric Barker. He sites a study conducted by Researchers at Emory University. Barker says, “What’s the best predictor of your child’s emotional well-being? It’s not great schools, hugs or Pixar movies. The Emory University study found that whether a kid knew their family history was the number one indicator.
The study says, “Family stories provide a sense of identity through time, and help children understand who they are in the world,”
“There is something powerful about actually knowing these stories,” the study said.
However, the authors cautioned that more research is needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
My kids are teenagers now and coming face to face with their developing identity. I think it’s time for me to dust off our family stories and start sharing them again.
Ideas to get the conversation rolling
How we met
How your grandparents met
What they did for a living
Specific stories that demonstrate what life was like
Any special journeys or accomplishments people in the family are proud of
Examples from my family history
My grandma was raised on a farm. She once fell out of a tree she was not supposed to be climbing into the pen with the hogs. She lost consciousness when she hit the ground, which was dangerous for her because the hogs would have easily harmed her.
My grandpa didn’t serve the in world wars because he worked in a steel mill that made parts for parts for materials for the war. He was told that he was needed more there than in battle.
These are just 2 examples. I hope you can dig up some favorite stories from your past and share them with the next generation.
One other resource
Family history has become more popular recently, with the availability of at-home DNA testing. If you want to do something cool with your family, familysearch.org, which is a mormon site, has cool things online, and centers you can visit that have interactive displays where you can find cool things about your family history.
ideastudios.blog 