Family trees are a great way for children to visualize their family and learn who they came from. It can also help them understand the relationships between their relatives and how they relate to each other. A family tree is a diagram (that can look a bit like a tree) that shows your family’s relatives through several generations. Understanding your family tree can have many benefits, including:
Build Better Relationships
Family trees are a visual way to show the relationships between family members. It makes them an excellent tool for building stronger familial bonds. Children who know their ancestry are likelier to be close to their relatives and more empathetic toward those around them. When drawing a family tree, find as much information as possible about your family history. It includes birth records, DNA tests, and any other relevant documents you can find. Be sure to record any notable achievements, important dates, and the names of any spouses or siblings. You can also include a picture or photograph of each person in the chart.
Once you have all the information, it’s time to start putting it together. Either make your template or utilize one that has already been made. Remember to consider how many generations you want to include and how detailed your chart will be. Then, choose what kind of relationship you want to display for each person. For example, you can use lines to connect spouses or children or indicate if someone is deceased. Once you’ve finished, share your family tree with everyone who needs to see it. You can even embed it into a website or blog so anyone with an internet connection can view it. It is a great way to bring your family together, even if they’re scattered across the country or the world.
Learn About Your Past
Knowing where you came from can help you understand who you are. It’s not just about your parents and children; it can include step-siblings, half-uncles and aunts, adopted cousins and more. A family tree is a great way to document these relationships to learn more about your ancestors and their lives. Aside from allowing you to build an in-depth family history, the importance of a family tree can also help you uncover records you would not have found otherwise. For instance, you may be told that your family is related to a famous person and is interested in learning more about them. If you are lucky, you may have a relative who has documented their relationship with that person and can help you find more information about them.
You can also use a family tree to discover health concerns likely to run in your family. For example, you can learn about the hereditary nature of diabetes, high blood pressure, and specific types of cancer. It can help you make better lifestyle choices to prevent or treat them. Moreover, learning about the hardships that your ancestors experienced can teach you how to be resilient and can empower you to overcome your challenges.
Make New Friends
Family trees can be difficult to create without understanding genealogy and kinship terms. Distinguishing your third cousins twice removed from your second cousins thrice removed can seem daunting for those new to the genealogy world. However, if you centralize your research in one place, it can make the process much easier. It will also make it easier for other family members to understand what you have been researching and why. For example, when your children hear Grandpa talk about Uncle Phil, they’ll be able to visualize who he is talking about and will pay more attention to his stories.
Additionally, a DNA test can help you find relatives that you might not have been able to connect with before. These connections can expand your family tree and help fill gaps that might need help to reach or locate records. For example, if your great-grandparents aren’t included in the family tree because they died young or were never married, it might be impossible to track down their information. Using tools can connect your family with distant relatives who share similar ancestry to you and open up new lines of inquiry.
Learn About Your Health
Many health-related issues are hereditary, and knowing what diseases run in the family can help you take preventative measures to stay healthy. For example, if heart disease runs in your family, you should talk with a doctor about getting tested and starting a healthier lifestyle. Similarly, if there’s a genetic disease like cystic fibrosis in your family history, you can talk to your doctors about how to best manage it and what to expect in the future. Knowing your heritage can also give you a sense of connection with people who aren’t in your immediate family. For instance, children who learn that some of their ancestors were immigrants can feel compassion toward their classmates who are recent immigrants. Similarly, kids who know that their ancestors lived through tough times can help others who are struggling and encourage them to keep going.
In addition to fostering connections, understanding your family tree can help you learn about important historical events and people. It can also put the records straight on misunderstood family stories and help you find long-lost or unknown relatives. For example, if you trace your roots back to Europe, you might discover a relative living there that you never knew about! It can help you connect with them and deepen your existing relationships.
