3 Situations When a Family Tree is Important

Many people think of a family tree for use if you are researching your family history. While this is a beneficial use for it, there are many other ways you can use a family tree. Here are three other times when it can be an important part of your project or event.

1. It Can Help Kids in School

A family tree doesn’t have to be just about your family. You can use it when kids are studying history in school. It’s often difficult to keep family names together when studying an era. A family tree can help kids see the relationships of the people they are learning about. For example, a lot of people get mixed up about what relation Franklin D. Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt were to each other. A family tree on the Roosevelts would make it much easier to understand. Sometimes your kids can get extra credit in school for creating one as an outside project.

2. It Can Introduce an Adopted Child to the Family

Meeting a bunch or relatives for the first time can be overwhelming to a child who has recently been adopted. They may have a difficult time trying to keep names and relationships straight. Was Aunt Susie or Aunt Carrie the mom of Joe? Is Aunt Susie married to Uncle Bob or was it Aunt Ella?

When you create a family tree with everyone’s names organized and other basic information included, such as birthdays, it makes it easier for someone to keep track of their new family. Put their name as your child on the family tree, and it solidifies their status as part of your family. This is a great gift to give on adoption day if you frame it, but you can also give it to them ahead of time so they have a chance to learn about their family before meeting them all.

3. It Can Enhance Self-Confidence

There’s an old saying that goes, “you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.” This is true for people in many cases. They often struggle with decisions about going to college, getting a job and making other choices. Sometimes it can help to research the past in connection with family.

A child who dislikes their hair color might have a stronger appreciation for it if they see that it goes back four or five generations. It can also be helpful to learn about the struggles of the past in their family. Maybe someone had to deal with a problem of stuttering or dyslexia in the past, which will help your child deal with their own struggles. On the other hand, they will feel pride if they discover an ancestor who inspired change or invented a helpful gadget.

A family tree can be a great way to help a child improve in school, build family ties or develop self-confidence. With so many templates to choose from, you’ll find the perfect option for any need.

Suzie Kolber, Creator of Family Tree Templates

Suzie Kolber created Family Tree Templates to be the complete online resource for “do it yourself” genealogy projects. The site offers the largest offering of family tree chart online. The site is a not for profit website dedicated to offering free resources for those that are trying to trace their family history.