Common Reasons Why People Don't Do Family History
by Shenley Puterbaugh
There are many, many, many benefits of doing family history for all ages. As you can read about here:
Of course you want your children and family to experience these benefits but there are concerns that may prevent you from doing family history or even starting! Let’s address 6 of the most common concerns!
1.
I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN!
If you are just beginning to do family history start by diagraming a family tree. Familysearch.org or Ancestry.com are great websites to help you build a tree or you can begin simply with a pen and paper. Start with what you know such as names, dates and locations, then ask family members what you don’t know. If your tree has already been diagrammed then choose an idea, but keep it simple and choose something that you would really enjoy.
2. I DON’T HAVE TIME!
Many people think family history takes a lot of time but does anyone really have extra time? Most of us have never ending to-do lists so adding just one more thing can feel overwhelming! The wonderful reality is that family history does not have to take a lot of time. Some people choose to spend a lot of time on it, but you don’t have to! By just spending a few minutes every once in a while you and your family can reap the benefits! Begin by setting aside 5-10 minutes and remember, the benefits are worth it! You can even think of something that is a time waster for you and trade it for family history. Someone chose to give up playing a game on their phone and replaced it with doing family history. The benefits of doing family history far outweigh the benefits of so many other activities.
3. THERE IS TOO MUCH DRAMA IN MY FAMILY!
I don’t know any family that doesn’t have drama but there are definitely some that have more than others. If the family drama is current you may find that by doing family history healing takes place in your heart and in your home. But even if nothing changes for your family, their may be changes for you. IF the family drama took place among ancestors, remember, benefits come from learning both positive AND negative family stories. It may seem natural to avoid stories of failure and setbacks but they are important to your family narrative. A true family narrative includes successes and failures. From successes we can feel inspired and empowered. From failures we can learn what not to do, how they made it through and overcame setbacks, and that things eventually get better. All of these lessons are important.
4. I AM ADOPTED!
What a blessing! You may have two families to learn about and benefit from. Your birth family is the family that you know the best and primarily influenced you. The way the parents who adopted you were raised and influenced by their ancestors affects you and how you were raised. Understanding their culture will help you understand your own culture. From your birth family you can understand more about your birth family, your physical features and natural abilities. If you don’t know your birth family and you want to, doing a DNA test may help you make a connection. Choose to learn about either family or both. Start with where you are most comfortable. There can be growth and understanding from either of these directions.
5. ALL OF MY FAMILY HISTORY HAS BEEN DONE!
I have heard this one sooooooo many times! And every time I think the same thing. You can never be done! Family history does not just involve putting together a family tree, which may have been done. There’s always more to learn about your family and ways to become more interested. You may find that recording living relatives stories has not been done or piecing together the story of an ancestor through records and documents. You can also share what has been discovered with those that have not yet learned about their ancestors whether it’s your children, parents or extended family. Family history is not just building a family tree, it is getting to know your ancestors, learning from them and passing it on to the next generation!
Have you recorded your personal history? That is an important part of your family history that you can do better than anyone else. If you don’t, your posterity will be left to piece your life together. Leaving details for your children and posterity will make your story so much richer and accurate!
6. I DON’T KNOW ANY OR MANY OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS!
You don’t have to! Learn what you can from the people you do know but with so many resources readily available, knowing family members is not required to do family history. The internet is an amazing resource. You can search and find many records and piece information together. You will become a detective and discover information and solve mysteries.
Now that your concern has been addressed pick something that is of interest to you and dive in! Here are some ideas that can get you started!
If your reason for not doing family history was not addressed, comment below with your reason!