January 26, 2009

Why Genealogy is Important for Children

There are plenty of reasons why adults should be curious about family history, but what about children? Why should adults teach children about genealogy? I'm sure you have a few answers of your own.

My interest in genealogy and history began when I was about nine. At that point, there were no books written on the subject for kids. Instead I worked my way through Gilbert Doane's, In Search of Your Ancestors and followed his advice for about a year. It was a college history assignment that rekindled my interest in the topic and led to my working in the field. That's when I discovered that family history is a great way to teach children history-local, national and international. Over the years, as I worked with school groups, it became apparent there was still a lack of resources for children interested in genealogy.

When writing...