It is difficult for children to imagine their parents as children, even harder for them to picture their grandparents as children. Yet through stories and pictures children can begin to understand family relationships.
I was blessed with a grandmother who was an incredible storyteller. She was born in 1907, the second youngest of eleven, and grew up on a farm in southern Idaho. She entertained my siblings and I with many true stories from her own childhood. I can still remember her sharing stories about Indians, gypsies, riding to a one-room schoolhouse in a sleigh, playing in the hayloft, her pet goat, taking the train to her grandparents in Utah, and others. She grew up in a time when they still used lamps, outhouses, and the horse and buggy. Her stories helped me understand who she was.
Now that I have children of my own I like to share my grandmother’s stories with them as well as my own. Although my personal stories aren’t as entertaining as my grandmother’s my children still enjoy hearing about my life as a child. They think it is funny that I grew up with Aunt Sandra, Uncle Brian, and Aunt Cynthia. They have an easier time imagining me as a child than my siblings. I still have to remind them that Grandpa and Grandma are my dad and mom and that I was once their little girl. My son at age seven is finally putting it all together.
Along with personal stories it is important to share photographs. Pull out family albums and show your children pictures of yourself as a child. Talk about the events and how you felt at the time. Your children will be amazed to see that you were once their size and felt just like they did.
You might want to make your child their own special book by making colored copies of the photographs. Make sure that you label each picture with the person’s name and age. Allow your child to ask questions and then make family history come alive by sharing your life.
See these related blogs:
Four Family History Gifts