{"id":292075,"date":"2023-04-12T11:04:15","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T11:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/uk\/?post_type=parents&p=292075"},"modified":"2025-11-06T17:31:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T17:31:11","slug":"get-kids-excited-about-family-history","status":"publish","type":"parents","link":"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/uk\/parents\/get-kids-excited-about-family-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine ideas to get kids excited about family history"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sharing family history through storytelling is hugely beneficial to kids and families, says author Bruce Feiler, who collected hundreds of life stories for his book Life Is in the Transitions<\/em>. For one, it gives kids a sense that they\u2019re part of a bigger family narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSharing family stories with children lets them know that people around them, people they love, people they view as heroes, also underwent obstacles and overcame them,\u201d he says. \u201cNot just people in books and movies. People in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The benefits of knowing your family history<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to research from Emory University, kids with more knowledge of family history have higher self-esteem and self-confidence, fewer behaviour problems and lower levels of anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That might be because family stories give children a stronger sense of connection and belonging, which boosts their well-being, according to child development expert Elaine Reese, who runs the Story Lab at New Zealand\u2019s University of Otago.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Family stories show children that they\u2019re not alone \u2013 and that might help them later in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen these children encounter difficulties, they appear to be better equipped to overcome adversity,\u201d says Reese, who has researched family stories for over 30 years as a professor of developmental psychology in the United States and New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom their bank of family stories, perhaps they\u2019re even able to draw upon a similar experience that happened to someone they know and love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use stories to get them excited<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sparking a kid\u2019s interest in family history is easier than you might think. Children \u2013 especially between the ages of 5 and 12 \u2013 are primed to listen to fictional stories from their parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real-life family stories are no different. \u201cWhen they hear some, they usually beg for more, or ask for repeats of favourites,\u201d Reese says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good times to tell family stories together are at meals, on walks and rides<\/a>, and on special occasions like birthdays and holidays. You could even make a family resolution<\/a> to have specific storytelling sessions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChildren love to hear their birth stories on their birthday each year,\u201d says Reese, who wrote Tell Me a Story: Sharing Stories to Enrich Your Child\u2019s World. <\/em>\u201cAlthough most would prefer you leave out the gory bits!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And once your kids are hooked on family history? Introduce them to the whole world of history all around us, from the ancient civilisations that shaped our world, to modern Kings, Queens and more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spark their love of history right here, at natgeokids.com<\/a>, or even better, pick up a subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine<\/a> for amazing tales of history, science, nature and more through your door every month.<\/p>\n\n\n

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9 top story starters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have a ready supply of tales from your family history, start creating one. Try these family-tested ideas from the experts\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Interview elders.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Encourage children to ask grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and other relatives about kid-friendly topics, Feiler says. Here are a few to get the ball rolling… <\/p>\n\n\n\n