29 July 2024
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Discover the joy of baking family history recipes
Being able to set the scene and tell a story is key to helping you get your family curious about their kin. It’s not the only solution though. Discover five very different ways to entice your family members into the family history fold!
Tell a good tale: discover the power of a family history story
Even from a young age, many people love hearing tales about the past. They may start of with tiny children asking about when they were babies, then about when you were young and so on. Later on, people may be curious about former family members who served in one of the World Wars, or who shared interests or work skills with them. Inevitably we know more, and can find out more, about some of our ancestors than others. Sometimes we may be fortunate enough to have family tales passed down from previous generations, and these much loved anecdotes can be a frequent source of bonding and fondness for family.
When our family ask us about the family history they will rarely want to know specific dates and details – instead they’ll want a captivating account, a story to treasure and remember.
As the family’s family historian it’s in our ‘remit’ to try and deliver this. We can help ourselves by learning about the places our ancestors once lived and the jobs they were employed in. Read our guide to diving deeper into the family story here [LINK] https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/discover-7-super-websites-take-yourself-on-a-family-history-tour
Bake a family favourite: cherishing Granny's cakes & co
Whether it’s a casserole, a cake or even a cocktail, rustling up a family favourite is a great way to bring back memories and serve up a delicious dose of family history.
Get the family involved in the preparation of the meal or baked treat too. Weave in family history as you all work together in the kitchen.
Create themed family photos albums: the joy of family history pictures
Family resemblances are always fun. How about creating themed family albums, with chapters for, for instance – the family babies, the family marriages, family parties over the years, family homes, vehicles, sporting endeavours etc. It’s a rare person who would be able to resist getting involved in discussing who has the family ears, the funny fashions of times gone by, etc.
By digitising your original photos, arranging them into themed collections and chapters, and getting copies printed you will reap several benefits: your family members (of all ages) will be able to handle the printed albums without you worrying that the originals are getting manhandled. Plus you could create albums specific to individual people’s interests, or get several copies printed, for instance, one for each sibling and so forth.
Make a family history movie
This doesn’t have to be a Spielberg production. Simply take photographs of your old family photos using your mobile phone, and then use the phone photo editor to select a sound track, add a title and credits, and export as a movie file.
Alternatively, if you’re a PowerPoint fan, import your old family photos to PowerPoint, add a sound track, and export as an MP4 file. Google copyright free music, to find audio for your soundtrack.
We all know the appeal of a few images and a little music…. So harness this power to share your family history too.
Ask for their help
It can be easy, as the family’s family historian, to get used to doing it all yourself. Yet you are likely to have family members who have skills and enthusiasm to help. Find something that piques their curiosity and work on a project together. Perhaps they are super efficient on the computer and can scan and edit grandpa’s collection of old letters? Or maybe they can hang by an ancestral churchyard, while on holiday in the area, to photographs family memorials? Or possibly they can help you set up a family history website to showcase your family’s story.
So, while, as the family’s family historian, it is likely to be you, gathering the details, researching, investigating and so forth, you may be fortunate and be able to enlist a helping family history hand, even if it’s just for a specific project, or part of a project, and – you never know – that may sow the seedling of curiosity for them to become more involved in the family’s history in the years to come.
