Cute new family home charts

We've got something new and exciting to share with you this week! Our FamilyChartmasters designers have just finished creating a great new series of Set Style Charts to help you introduce the children in your life to their ancestors. 

Have you ever wondered how to get your own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, youth group or school class interested in learning about their extended family? Have they experienced the fun of discovering the names of their grandparents and great-grandparents and learning about their lives?

Look no further. These adorable five-generation pedigree charts have been designed to help kids see where they fit into their family story. These customizable charts can also help you share their family history with them in a way that is personalized and unique.

We are thrilled to introduce five styles of charts representing different families. And, we can customize any of these charts to fit your needs. Each chart is 24 x 36 inches and can be printed on either Presentation or Professional paper. You will notice on the website that each chart has been named for a unique type of architecture. They are perfect for framing and just right to add a uniquely personal touch to a child's room. 

It has been said that "the single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative."  https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html  To help you begin that journey with the children in your life, start by checking out all our new children's charts at FamilyChartmasters.com. Scroll down on our home page to "Set Style Charts" to see these and other reasonably priced charts that do not require you to work with a designer. Simply choose the style you love most and upload your information to the website. It's a simple as that. Your chart will be printed and on it's way to you before you know it.

We've named them all after architectural features.  We're excited to show you all five styles.  This is the African American version.  It is called "Portico"
   

And this is the Caucasian version.  It is called "Parapet"

We added a version for a lesbian couple.  It's called "Vestibule."

And this next one is for a family with gay dads.  It's called "Mezzanine."

And look at this one!  You can print the chart and the child can actually color it!  How cool is that!  This is the "Keystone" version.  

Just go to our Set Style Chart page at https://familychartmasters.com/set-style/ to order one for your family today!

Connecting Over the Distance this Holiday Season

Kim and I were going through some boxes last weekend and found some treasures.  We found some old cassette tapes we had made when we were in college to send home to the family.  He has sent tapes home from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin and I had sent tapes home from study abroad in the Middle East to Utah.  We didn't know each other then so it was fun to listen to our younger selves.  They were treasures that our families kept with our letters and then returned to us when we got home.  We knew they were there but I'd forgotten about them.  What fun to discover them now.  We need to bring them into the digital age and store them with our other family history items.  

Likewise, my family had sent an old VHS tape to me while I was abroad.  I found this tape a few years back and took it to our Thanksgiving celebration.  My little sisters were so cute at that age and we got to see them and show the video to their current husbands.  We ought to dig it out this year and show their kids.  I remember when I received the tape I was so homesick I cried and cried while I watched it.  And I put it away and never watched it again because it made me so sad.  But what a joy to find now.  Pieces of family history that captured the every day and time capsuled it into the future.  

So I have a proposal for you if you are missing the regular holiday get togethers this year.  Make a recording, video or audio, and send it to your family.  Perhaps different parts of the family who are apart can share videos with each other.  Don't just let zoom conferences fade into the past.  Capture something and store it with your other family history items.  It might not seem very important now, but trust me, later it will feel like a cache of riches.  

Perhaps you can use costumes or props.  But it doesn't have to be a special production.  Tour your house.  Show them the projects you've been working on.  Take them through a day in the life.  Talk about past family gatherings.  Talk about what you want to do in the future.  Teach them a new (or old) recipe.  Talk about your family from the past.  Talk about your family now.  Talk about the craziness of 2020.  Someday we'll be on the other side of this strange year and we will have forgotten all the details.  It will be interesting to see what future generations think when they find out what we've been through.  

So put zoom away for a little bit.  Connect over the geographical distance this year, and see if you connect over the years too.  And let me know how it goes.

Holiday Family History Activites

The kids are home from school for a couple of weeks.  Or maybe you have grandkids visiting?  I'm sure you'll do some fun things together, but I hope you'll also incorporate your family history.  As I've said many many times before, family history is the one thing that your family shares, that no one else shares with you.  It brings so many healthy benefits to your descendants and it is the best team building exercise there is.  So here are a few ideas about how to incorporate a little family history into your holiday break.  

And speaking of breaks.. we will only have a skeleton staff on call until we all come back into the office on January 8th.  Our team has worked incredibly hard this last couple of months to make sure all of our clients have the perfect holiday gift.  So we feel that they really need and deserve some time off to spend with their families.  If you need a chart soon, feel free to send your information in for a free consultation at https://familychartmasters.com/consult but just know that we'll be a little slower through the holidays.  If you need it soon though--feel free to tell us what your deadline is.  We'll always work really hard to meet any deadlines you have.  

And now on to the ideas...

1. Watch your family history together.  Ready for a nice relaxing movie all wrapped up in blankets and drinking cocoa?  How about picking one with a family history theme?  Maybe there is a show with ties to your family history.. such as Fiddler on the Roof or Gone with the Wind.  Or you could choose a show that celebrates family history such as Disney's Moana or Coco.  

Make a gingerbread house of a historic place in your family

2. Cook your family history together.  I've shared many times how much my family's holiday cooking takes in our family history.  This year I bought some Krankenkake molds and we're going to try this new recipe together.  As you cook together, or eat together, make sure you pass on the history behind your tradition.  

 

3. Fill out a chart together.  With our new 2019 on-trend designs, you can inspire descendants to new genealogical heights as you work on a chart for their own home together.  Filling out a chart can prompt story telling and explanations that may not come up otherwise.  The perfect takeaway from Grandma's house.  

4. Talk about the heirlooms you have (and maybe gift them to family members).  Maybe you have some holiday heirlooms on display.  Or maybe you have a box set aside that needs to be organized.  Get your family involved in family history by giving them ownership and helping them see the interesting assets you have in your family.  

5. Check out more ideas in our Zap the Grandma Gap books.  The Zap the Grandma Gap books and workbooks are chock full of ideas for family activities that work with kids of all ages (even my Dad)  Order the physical books or get them quickly in eBook form at zapthegrandmagap.com

Let me know how it goes at janet@familychartmasters.com.  And watch the blog--I'll report back too.  Have a wonderful holiday break!

A Gift From Grandpa

George Alvin Carpenter About 1958

My father's father, George Alvin Carpenter was a great scholar.  He was a university professor who spent his career at UC Berkley and then retired and taught 15 more years at Brigham Young University.  He was an agricultural economist who helped rebuild the economy in Europe after World War II.  He was involved in research and teaching his whole life.

But he was not a genealogist.  His father Joseph Hatten Carpenter was.  Joseph was a prolific genealogist who I've written about before.  I suspect that my Grandfather Alvin spent most of his life feeling that his father had done everything that was necessary with our family's history.  I don't think he was really very interested.

However, I do remember once, when I was about 7 or so, my Grandfather sat all of his grandchildren down on the swing on his back porch and told us about our family history.  I was the oldest, my cousins were probably between 2 and 4 years old.  I remember Grandpa was trying to tell us something important, but it was really boring.  I didn't understand much.  But I remember Grandpa was really proud of his heritage.

About 1973.  I'm on the left with my cousins on the porch swing.  If my memory is right, this is the day my grandfather tried to tell us about our family history.

Being a university professor, I know Grandpa was perfectly capable of real research and he could have been a good genealogist.  However my Grandfather performed only one genealogical act in his life that I know of. He wrote a history of his father, Joseph Hatten Carpenter--the genealogist.  This book is only 145 one sided pages.  But that one small act had a great impact on me. 

The book was published when I was 10 years old.  Because I was one of the descendants, I got my very own copy.  It sat on the little white bookshelf in my room and on quiet nights, I would pull it out, and read about Joseph.  Even though I have many ancestors who were actually quite famous, Joseph was the one I knew the most about, and I became quite connected to him.  When the time came that I wanted to learn more about my family history, you can guess who I was connected to, and where I wanted to spend my time first.  I've traveled to the family history sites and archives researching along this line and I've learned alot about my patriarchal family because of this small book my Grandfather wrote. 

Grandpa passed the year I turned 16. It is hard to quantify the effect he had on my life.  Certainly my ethic for education came from him and that has been a huge influence in my life.  I could go on and on about other things I've learned from him.  But this small book has been a real treasure. 

When I started lecturing at Family History Conferences, my very first lecture was "Where to Start When It Is All Done,"  I talked about the family history my Great-Grandfather Joseph collected and what I've been able to do with it.  In that lecture, I often showed this book of my Grandfather's and talked about what an impact it had on my life and my family history work.  Diving into Family History when alot of work has already been done is challenging--just like it was for my Grandfather Alvin.  I tried to encourage the attendees by showing them his book and describing what an impact it had on me.  I told them that if they only accomplished one thing, it would be worth it in the lives of their descendants.  According to my records, I've given that lecture 34 times from coast to coast and my copy of Alvin's book has come along with me. 

But the most amazing thing happened last month.  My son Matthew has been helping my Dad go through his family history boxes.  And they found this:  A copy of the book that my Grandfather had actually signed to me.  It reads in part:

I hope that you will enjoy reading about some of his wonderful accomplishments.  May you learn to appreciate the great heritage you have as his great-grand-daughter.  With love and best wishes, your grandfather, G. Alvin Carpenter.

When they gave it to me I just cried.  It was like a pat on the back from my Grandfather for the work that I have put into this industry, trying to help people with this important work.  I felt like I had been fulfilling my Grandfather's wishes, to learn about our amazing heritage and honor his legacy.  And even though he never saw it in this life, I had learned to appreciate this history that was so important to him. 

Had I always had this copy of the book, I don't know that it would have had such an impact on me.  So you never know... you never know where the trail of breadcrumbs will lead your descendants.  How blessed I am for the people who went ahead of me and blazed that trail. 

Big Zap The Grandma Gap Cyber Monday Sale

From the Zap The Grandma Gap Blog: 

Our biggest sale ever will happen on Cyber Monday this year.

All e-books will be 50% off.  No coupon necessary.  

Just check out the website on Monday for great ideas to help you connect with your family.

Family History Table Decorations

Recently, a good friend asked us to create placemats for his wedding luncheon.  We put together a chart that showed how all of his family members were related to the new couple and designed it to match the wedding decorations and invitations.  They turned out beautifully and I'm sure they were helpful to make sure that everyone new who was who at the party.  It was a brilliant idea, and we were happy to be part of it.

It reminded me of the table runner I created last thanksgiving.  Copying an idea I had seen on pinterest, I put together many of my family's pictures and we printed the piece on vinyl so that it would hold up to lots of use. It brought a new level of meaning to our Thanksgiving table to sit and look at the faces of the people who brought us to where we are now. 

Any of our charts can be adjusted to create placemats or table decorations.  We can print on vinyl, or laminate regular paper.  You could even use our game cards to make a game out of it and see what your family knows about their family history.  Really any kind of genealogy chart could work, such as examples from our gallery like this one, or this one or this one. 

I hope your family has a wonderful holiday season together.  We'd be happy to create a table runner or some chart placemats or runners for you as well.  And remember with any of our charts, after the first copy, any extra copies are 1/2 price.  Just send your pictures and/or your genealogy information via our free consultation.  We REALLY CAN create any kind of family history art presentation for you. We love bringing your family memories front and center in your modern family to enrich and strengthen those around you now. 

Resilient Coping and Your Kids

By now, it should not be a secret that: A) I am presenting at Rootstech 2015 and B) I am doing a great deal of research on the scientific benefits of genealogy on youth. The more I prepare for my Rootstech presentations, the more excited I get to share all of this information with all of you.  Be sure to stop by my presentations, or our booth, to talk to me and let me know what you think about the topics I'm presenting. I am particularly pleased with all of the data I am gathering on the scientifically proven benefits of genealogy on young people. The documentation of improved intellectual and emotional performance in relation to family connections is fascinating.  Of course, I have been saying it for years, so maybe I just like having scientific evidence to finally back me up. You know, something to show my kids and say, "See, I told you genealogy will help you!"

As a result of my focus on this topic, someone pointed out something to me the other day on resilient coping in young people.  The original article can be found here and it is an interesting read.  Linda Graham is the author of the paper and the idea behind The 5 C's of Coping.  She talks about discovering these 5 C's during her 20+ years of practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist.  The 5 C's are as follows:

• Calm - Staying calm in a crisis can help us cope with what is happening to us.
• Compassion - Keeping an open mind and heart can help us view our (or someone else's) situation with compassion and helps us use past experiences to be resilient in current circumstances (she goes on to list how to do this, step by step, in the original source).
• Clarity - Seeing the situation from different perspectives (and with compassion) can help us to be flexible in moments of stress or trial.
• Connection - Seeking help allows us to connect to personal resources (family, present and past).
• Competence - Learning from others allows us the ability to become adept at alleviating personal suffering with effort and mindful practice.

Do you see a pattern with these 5 C's and families? We can all learn, and then in turn teach our youth, how to successfully navigate personal trials through sharing family history and personal family narratives. Can you imagine the power a story of an ancestor who struggled through The Great Depression, or World War II, or another difficult life event, could have on a young person? The idea that he or she is related to someone who suffered or who was frightened or who was overwhelmed and then endured is enough create a sense of Calm, Compassion, Clarity, Connection, and Competence--all in one felled swoop.  It's like packing a parachute for your child. Sharing your family history and family narratives is their back up pack, in case the first attempt to pull the cord fails. You've given them the ability to recall, and then lean upon, the experience of another person that has had a direct influence on their personal ability to succeed in life. 

I don't know about you, but I know that I am always looking for ways to cope a little bit better with life's curveballs.  And this list of the 5 C's of Resilient Coping is a nice, neat, little cheat sheet for that. And I know that if you've met me, and spent any time with me, you'll know that I often talk about experiences where I was overwhelmed with something in my life and then remembering an ancestor, or a family line, helped me to realize that everything was going to be fine--if my family had gone through far worse things and came through stronger for it, so would I!

So, then, the real question is: how do we instill these principles in our children? Easy. Start young. So many people think genealogy is a "grandma hobby." It isn't! We've got to be the ones who change that stigma, however. If we act like our children and grandchildren are too young to "get it," well then, they'll behave in the exact same way! So we have to be on our toes to find ways to be creative and clever in how we introduce our children and grandchildren to family history. Stories are always a sure bait. Children love stories. So tell them stories about you, your parents, your grandparents. Just talk with them and find common ground where you can share and they can learn. Playing with your children and grandchildren is another great way to get them involved.  Pull out some old toys or books you had as a child, play dress up in some old clothes in that cedar trunk in the attic, or teach them the games you played as a child--you know, the ones that didn't involve remote controls and televisions. These are all easy ideas to get you started. 

And lucky for you, I have made it even easier with my Zap the Grandma Gap Books and Activity books.  Each work book I have created is targeted to a specific family heritage.  My newest books (out in time for Christmas gift-giving) focus on Jewish, Mormon, and Pioneer histories. These have been added to my line of British, Swedish, German, and Civil War histories. For parents and grandparents, I have my book and power up workbook to give you ideas, help, and hints to close the genealogy gap in your family. It seems too easy, but truly, something as simple as a fun activity workbook is enough to spark your child's interest in their family history and then you are on the road to helping your child develop the 5 C's and become a more resilient person. Your children think they are just playing games, solving puzzles, and coloring paper dolls. But you and I both know that they are connecting to who they are and where they come from. And believe it or not, down the road, that may make the difference in your child "bouncing back" from a hard life blow, or "being out for the count." It's critical for us to give our children a fighting chance from the start. And knowing who they are and where they came from is the most powerful ammunition we can give them.

I hope you'll take advantage of my pre-release sale on my new workbooks (and all of my other books), to add to your gift-giving this year. If you order by November 30, 2014 you will receive 20% off of your entire order. New books and previous books alike. That is a great deal that won't last much longer! Stop by and take a look at some of the offerings each book and workbook have in store for you and your young ones. The best thing about my activity books is that your children don't even realize they are doing family history! They are just having fun. It's a simple and small thing that will lead to much bigger and better things down the road (the 5 C's of resilient coping is just the tip of the iceberg). Trust me, it's one gift you won't regret giving your child or grandchild this year!

Source: THE NEUROSCIENCE OF INTEGRATING MINDFULNESS AND EMPATHY TO 

STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE: Developing the 5 C’s of Coping: Calm, Compassion, Clarity, Connections to Resources, and Competence. Linda Graham, MFT - facesconferences.com/wp-content/uploads/handouts/seattle2012/friday/GRAHAM-Neuroscience_Resilience.pdf

My Mormon Ancestor

We're so excited to show off some more details about our new books.  Today we are going to focus on the "My Mormon Ancestor" Activity Book.

First I have to give another big thank you to my sister Amy Slade for her help with this book.  Also, many more great thanks to Erin Roudabush, Michelle Phillips and Christine Fazulyanov for their assistance in making this book happen.

You can take a look at the entire Table of Contents in our preview on the Zap The Grandma Gap website. 

With the “My Mormon Ancestor Activity Book” you can:

· Plan an Ancestor Family Home Evening
· Learn about Priesthood Line of Authority and how to trace it
· Find the Patriarchal Blessings of your ancestors
· Complete a temple dot-to-dot
· Document the church service and callings of your ancestors
· Gather information on your family’s missionaries
· Record information about the first LDS members of your family
· Make a handkerchief doll for church

Look at some of these pages:

These books make wonderful gifts for the holidays. Take advantage of the pre-release sale, 20% off all books at zapthegrandmagap.com, till November 30, 2014 and they will arrive in time for Christmas. Other great online and print resources to help families connect to each other by connecting to their past can be found at zapthegrandmagap.com.

My Pioneer Ancestor

We're so excited to show off some details about our new books.  Today we are going to focus on the "My Pioneer Ancestor" Activity Book.

First I have to give a big thank you to my sister Amy Slade (who just had a baby!) for her help with this book.  Also great thanks to Erin Roudabush, Michelle Phillips and Christine Fazulyanov for their assistance in making this book happen.
 

You can take a look at the entire Table of Contents in our preview on the Zap The Grandma Gap website. 

With the “My Pioneer Ancestor Activity Book” you can:

 ·Map out the pioneer route of your ancestors
· Decide what you would pack for a journey across the plains
· Learn how to find direction by the sun
· Compare your day to the day in the life of your ancestor
· Try classic pioneer recipes
· Write a Pony Express letter to a pioneer ancestor
· Play a game about the risks along the trail
· Contrast pioneer schools and modern schools

 

Look at some of these pages: 

 

This book will arrive in time for Christmas gift giving if you order now. Take advantage of the pre-release sale, 20% off all books at zapthegrandmagap.com, until November 30, 2014. Excerpts from all of the books can be viewed on the website at zapthegrandmagap.com/brandnewbooks. Other great online and print resources can be found at zapthegrandmagap.com
to help families connect to each other by connecting to their past.

This post crossposted to blogspot.zapthegrandmagap.com

Announcing Three New "My Ancestor Activity Books" for Children

Just in time for the holiday season, I've got some new Zap the Grandma Gap Activity Books coming your way! I am so excited to announce three new books for you to share and give to the children in your lives. I have created workbooks for the following heritages:

• With the “My Jewish Ancestor Activity Book” you can:
  · Learn about Jewish history, traditions and culture
  · Make and braid Challah bread with your family
  · Solve a Jewish calendar crossword puzzle
  · Record your family’s recipe for Charosets
  · Find your family’s place in the Diaspora
  · Learn the Hebrew Alphabet
  · Complete a genealogy word search
  · Enjoy a Yiddish folktale and a Nasrudin stories
  · Color, cut out and tell stories with Jewish Ancestor paper dolls
• With the “My Mormon Ancestor Activity Book” you can:
  · Plan an Ancestor Family Home Evening
  · Learn about Priesthood Line of Authority and how to trace it
  · Find the Patriarchal Blessings of your ancestors
  · Complete a temple dot-to-dot
  · Document the church service and callings of your ancestors
  · Gather information on your family’s missionaries
  · Record information about the first LDS members of your family
  · Make a handkerchief doll for church
• With the “My Pioneer Ancestor Activity Book” you can:
  · Map out the pioneer route of your ancestors
  · Decide what you would pack for a journey across the plains
  · Learn how to find direction by the sun
  · Compare your day to the day in the life of your ancestor
  · Try classic pioneer recipes
  · Write a Pony Express letter to a pioneer ancestor
  · Play a game about the risks along the trail
  · Contrast pioneer schools and modern schools

 These workbooks books offer a variety of fun and engaging activities to introduce your children and grandchildren to different aspects of their personal heritage.  We've included activities like mazes, recipes, dot-to-dot, and our always popular paper dolls.  Science has shown us how valuable it is for our children to have a sense of self (academically and emotionally) and these books are a fantastic to way to introduce your children to family history in an easy, interactive, and fun way.

As a bonus for you, we are having a pre-order sale.   

Place your pre-order with us by November 30, 2014 and save 20% on your entire book order.  

This sale includes all of my previous Zap the Grandma Gap books and workbooks, as well.  The books will be shipping in December--perfect for gift giving.  These books make wonderful gifts for children and adults.  Order by the deadline to take advantage of this fantastic sale.

Watch the blog next week for in-depth previews of each new workbook.  And take a look at my previous books here.  I'd love to help you bring some genealogy into the lives of your young ones this holiday season.

(This post is also available on my Zap the Grandma Gap blog.)

You Don't Know What You Don't Know

DNA testing.  It's the current buzz term in the genealogy world right now.  For good and for bad.  So let's discuss it today, shall we?  Why not, everyone else is!  Today's post is spurred on by a pretty vigorous online discussion that is happening at the moment and I think there are some important points that aren't getting enough attention in the process.

The original story, that you can see in original form here and is also referenced here by Dick Eastman, is of a biologist who, after teaching a college course on the genome, thought it might be fun/informative/interesting/helpful to take a DNA test in order to discover his susceptibility to certain familial cancers.  The fun part, he thought, came in by buying tests for his parents too.  Because honestly, if you are him, why not?  In his defense and in complete sympathy for him, what else could he possibly expect the outcome of a saliva swab to be?  Apparently a bouncing baby boy was not on his list of standard deviations.  Obviously.  So this poor man and his family were thrust into the gaping jaws of a personal family soap opera all because of an opt-in button for finding close relatives.  It's ended quite tragically for his family, and I recognize that in every possible way, but I don't think that this story, or the very many others like it, should cause us to dismiss DNA testing out of hand, without really examining the root of the conflict the "insta-family" button is creating for some folks.

First and foremost, the scripture that keeps coming to mind when I hear this story and so many like it, is actually found in the New Testament in Luke 12:3.  It says: "Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops."  The takeaway from that?  We can't hide what we've done.  Eventually everything comes to light.  And now, with these DNA tests, which George Doe (above) discovered and points out, we are dealing with highly advanced paternity tests.  Now, George's story, as tragic as it is, is also very vague on certain details.  How old was the half-brother and did his age indicate that he was born before or after the creation of the author's family?  Did George's father even know (chances are no because the author seems to indicate his dad was just as shocked as he was at the discovery) that this lost child even existed.  There are so many variables to this story that we just don't know.  His father even thought that the test he had taken was defective -- a very common reaction many people are having when unexpected results come back.  And at first, my reaction was that he had to have had some idea that there was a possibility of it when he sent off his cheek swab but now... maybe not so much.  We just don't know how everything went down.  Or when it went down.  So to say that DNA tests are bad or that the "opt-in" button on the results is bad is pretty extreme.  I am a believer in owning our actions.  One hundred percent, all the time, every day.  You do it, own it.  Especially when it comes to light, as Luke has so clearly told us it will, own it.  So to blame the opt-in button is a bitter pill for me to swallow.  I agree with George that it is easy for people to not understand the ramification of clicking that button but part of me still thinks that you've got to go in with eyes wide open knowing that maybe something might come back that you aren't expecting.

There are two sides to this coin though.  The other side of the narrative is referenced beautifully by Kerry Scott in her blog post here.  I seriously wanted to give her a virtual high-five after reading this.  Discovering unknown half-siblings, or that your parents (one or both) aren't your parents, while stunning and possibly devastating, may not be something that needs to be judged as harshly as some people are wont to do.  It may not be what we think it is.  This is especially in the case of long ago generations where life and social expectations were so very different from today.  I loved her comment about a "statute of limitations" for our family judgement.  Good food for thought, isn't it?  People did the best they could do with the knowledge they had and the environment in which they lived.  Sometimes what looks like a shocker family revelation may have been a sincere horror for a woman in our family line.  So that's something to chew on as well.

DNA testing has huge benefits.  It just recently positively identified the remains of Richard III in England, as well as positively identifying Jack the Ripper.  It has gotten innocent people off of death row and it has helped find matches for all sorts of medical miracles.  So, I guess my opinion on DNA testing is we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water (go ahead and insert your tongue firmly into your cheek as you read that too).  Like I say all the time, every family has some scoundrels and some heroes.  Even the scoundrels have heroic qualities and vice versa for our heroes.  The beauty of family history is coming to know who you are and dealing with the good and the bad and healing from all of it.  Things come to light, even things we think we can hide.  Eventually, everyone will know everything.  And maybe that creates some uncomfortable (and even presently damaging) situations for some people. But for now, we don't know what we don't know until we know it.  And to blame all of that on some test is a bit on the extreme side.  Those things existed before the tests are ever taken.  And even then, whose to say we'll really know even then.  But my big takeaway is this, when we research our family history (via records or DNA) we're going to find stuff we may not want.  It may seem like the world is ending in that moment, but eventually, it could be the most healing thing in someone's life.  So I tend to feel, overall, that we should all walk into this with the clear expectation that discovering the unexpected is not a bad thing.  It's an opportunity.

Announcing New Zap The Grandma Gap Workbooks for Youth

I am so excited to tell you about our latest project.  I've been working lately to fulfill a vision of mine and it is finally coming to fruition.

Announcing:

The Zap The Grandma Gap "My Ancestor" Activity Book Series for Youth

The first four books, My British Ancestor, My Civil War Ancestor, My Swedish Ancestor and My German Ancestor are 52 page activity books designed for 6-14 year olds with puzzles, activities, games and recipes combined with questions and learning opportunities about specific ancestors and the culture that surrounded them. Timelines, paper dolls, coloring pages, maps, fairy tales, music, dot to dots and crossword puzzles combine to give youth the full picture of what their ancestors’ lives were like. Check out some of the sample pages:

You can see table of contents and more sample pages at the Zap The Grandma Gap Blog and Website.

I've had the great privilege of developing these books with my sister Amy Slade.  She has spent last 10 years traveling extensively studying folklore, dance and food and culture around the world and recently received her Masters Degree in Folklore from George Mason University.  She was the perfect fit to help me bring these books into reality and I'm so thankful that she saw the vision of what I was trying to accomplish and was willing to let me talk her into helping.  I'm so thankful for her excitement about these books.  And I'm so glad we were able to spend more time together working on them.  Love her so much!
  
My German Ancestor (ISBN 978-09888-548-5-7), My Swedish Ancestor (ISBN 978-09888-548-4-0) My Civil War Ancestor (ISBN 978-09888548-3-3) and My British Ancestor (ISBN 978-09888-548-2-6), (Family ChartMasters Press, $9.95, 52 pages, 8.5x11, paperback) are available for preorder at zapthegrandmagap.com. 
When pre-ordered now, the books will arrive in time to prompt questions around the Thanksgiving table. Or they can become the perfect Christmas gift for children and grandchildren that will create stronger bonds in modern families by encouraging the whole family to learn about their ancestors together.

As always, thanks to Kim and Erin and Lara and Jenn for their support at Family ChartMasters while I have been working on this dream of mine.  I hope they add to our overall mission here to help genealogists inspire their family members with their family history.  We know how important it is to invest your own family in their past, and we're working hard to give you the resources to do that. 

Zap The Grandma Gap Workbook Press Release

I won't do this very often, but I'm really excited about this new workbook.  So this article is cross posted from my new Zap The Grandma Gap blog.  I hope you are reading about all the fun activities we have going on over there.  So much to write about on both blogs.  :)

Most parents and grandparents would do anything and everything to raise the youth in their family to be successful adults.  There are play groups and preschool lessons, music and dance, sports, tutoring and youth groups, the right schools, the right nutrition, etc.etc.  However, many people miss one of the most basic and foundational things that can set a child up for success in life—teaching their child about their family’s history. 

So we’ve created another unique resource that looks at family history in an engaging and youthful way so that anyone can easily engage the youth in their family with their history.  In conjunction with my corresponding lectures at the RootsTech conference this week, we have released the new  Zap the Grandma Gap Power Up Workbook: The Particulars About How To Connect With Your Family by Connecting Them To Their Family History, a hands-on book with step by step instructions, procedures, templates and resources that will help teach the next generation to love their heritage.  In the fill-in-the-blank book you will find:
•    Brainstorming activities to spark ideas
•    Suggestions for travel
•    Checklists and invitations for parties
•    Outlines for children’s books and activity books
•    Templates for games
•    Designs for recipe cards and ornaments
•    Surveys of the best websites
•    Ideas for incentives
•    Lists of interview questions
•    And instructions and templates for many other activities
This book discusses many ways to combine a family’s specific heritage with the specific interests of their youth.

The workbook is a companion to the book Zap the Grandma Gap: Connect With Your Family by Connecting Them To Their Family History.  This new book has already inspired families throughout the world about the importance of family history in connecting today’s families.  In it parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles can learn:
•    How to prepare for further curiosity by infusing their surroundings with their history.
•    Why plugging into the net is the easiest way to plug their family into their past
•    How to utilize your talents to teach their family about their history
•    Why discovering the surrounding history together makes their progenitors come alive.
•    How to pull their posterity close by carefully creating and recording today’s history.
•    Why it is important to simplify their family’s story their family can appreciate the past.

I come from a family that practices the principles found in this book.  As a librarian, I helped people at the BYU library with their family history research but was completely uninterested in my own. I inherited a large amount of genealogy from my mother and grandmother, both wonderful genealogists who lived family history in a way that was attractive and inviting.  Eventually I woke up to the soul satisfaction of learning about my family’s past.  Most recently I have found great joy in encouraging my  teenage children's genealogical interests. The pre-release of the workbook was well received this last month while I was speaking at the Who Do You Think You Are Conference in London, and the North Florida Genealogy Conference.  I gave several lectures about engaging the next generation with their family history.  Among other topics, I will be speaking this weekend at the RootsTech conference on “The Cool Parts of Genealogy: Engaging My Teenagers Case Study.”  Please come say Hi at the Family ChartMasters booth if you are planning on attending. 

Zap the Grandma Gap Power Up Workbook: The Particulars About How To Connect With Your Family by Connecting Them To Their Family History by Janet Hovorka is available now at www.zapthegrandmagap.com, at bookstores and by calling 801-872-4278.  A 24 page excerpt of the workbook and a 28 page excerpt of the book are available for free on the website along with downloads of other supporting materials.  Sign up on the homepage for a free 52 week e-newsletter with even more ideas on how to engage the next generation with their family history.

About the Author:  Janet Hovorka received a B.A. in Ancient Near Eastern History and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from BYU.  She and her husband Kim Hovorka own Family ChartMasters (www.familychartmasters.com) —official, award winning printers for most of the genealogy software and database companies.  She is currently serving as President of the Utah Genealogical Association and teaches courses in library skills and genealogy at Salt Lake Community College.  Janet writes the The Chart Chick blog (www.thechartchick.com), has written for numerous genealogy publications, and has presented 100s of lectures all over the world to help people learn more about their past. 

Media kit available upon request. 
Zap the Grandma Gap : Connect With Your Family by Connecting Them To Their Family History by Janet Hovorka.  Published by Family ChartMasters: Cedar Hills, Utah, 2013. Paperback, $23.95 194pp.  ISBN 978-0-9888548-0-2.
Zap the Grandma Gap Power Up Workbook: The Particulars About How To Connect With Your Family by Connecting Them To Their Family History by Janet Hovorka.  Published by Family ChartMasters: Cedar Hills, Utah, 2013. Paperback, $23.95 103pp.  ISBN 978-0-9888548-1-9.

The Grandma Gap introductory sale over tomorrow

From our newsletter:  

I just wanted to post a quick note to remind you that our new book is on sale only until tomorrow.  And if you pre-purchase the workbook with it, you'll save even more.

New Zap The Grandma Gap Book Sale Until Friday Feb 8th 
We've had such a wonderful response to the release of our first book.  Comments like "overflowing with valuable ideas and suggestions" and "must-read for everyone who treasures family history" have been really gratifying.  This is the book that will finally help you involve your family in their family history. 

The introductory sale has the book at $19.95 (regular $23.95) until tomorrow.  During the sale you can also pre-purchase the workbook that goes with the book for a reduced price.  Order the Power-Up Workbook at the same $19.95 price (regular $23.95) and we'll pay the shipping when the book comes out in March.   Click here and you can save $13.00 on both books until tomorrow.  Enjoy the book now, get started with the ideas, and then when the workbook comes you'll find even more to help you connect to your family. 

We know these books will help you leave a strong and stable heritage for the next generations in your family.   We're excited to show you a 24 page excerpt of the new workbook.  With over 100 pages of amazing ideas and resources, the workbook will really get the ideas flowing about what will work with your family.  A 28 page excerpt of the book are on the website as well.  Take a look.  They are guaranteed to get ideas flowing about what will work with your family.

Have you checked out the new website we created to go with the book?  It is full of resources to help families connect with their family history.  And there will be more to come.  The zapthegrandmagap.com website establishes a gathering place where people can submit their best ideas and learn from each other how to strengthen the coming generation.  Included in the site are a multitude of free resources including:

• A FREE 28 page excerpt of the book including table of contents.
• A FREE 35 page workbook for children to begin to record their own lives and explore their family history
• A FREE weekly newsletter with 52 additional ways to engage your family with their family history
• FREE 8.5x11 pedigree charts and resources for other genealogy charts
• A list of the best resources collected from all over the web
• Links to the FREE Zap the Grandma Gap blog, facebook and twitter feeds with additional ideas for connecting your family with their past.
• And more resources to come. 

 Zap the Grandma Gap : Connect With Your Family by Connecting Them To Their Family History by Janet Hovorka  and Zap The Grandma Gap: Power Up Workbook: The Particulars About How To Connect Your Family by Connecting Them To Their Family History by Janet Hovorka are on sale until tomorrow at $19.95 (regular $23.95).  You can purchase them now at zapthegrandmagap.com.

FREE Resources on how to teach your family members about genealogy

Have you checked out the new website yet?  Here are the FREE Resources at ZapTheGrandmaGap.com

1. FREE Email Newsletter—52 weeks of great ways to engage your family with their family history.
2. FREE Downloads—35 page workbook for children, pedigree charts, activities for the whole family.
3. FREE Resource Collection—The greatest ideas from all over the web collected in one convenient place.
4. FREE Connections—Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Submit Ideas.  Get involved and share your ideas about connecting with your family.  Bring your best ideas and help us build a gathering place where people can learn from each other about how to strengthen the coming generations and preserve our history. 

10 Innovative Ideas To Engage Your Family With Their Family History

10 Innovative Ideas To Engage Your Family With Their Family History From The Book: Zap The Grandma Gap: Connect To Your Family By Connecting Them To Their Family History.

1. When you find yourself sounding just like your father, or just like your mother, stop and tell your family members about where and from whom those sayings come.  When little superstitions or quirky or profound sayings come up, point out their origin and make a teaching moment happen with a story or a picture.  (pg 117)
2. If family history is boring then you are doing it wrong.  Family history encompasses all sorts of topics, music, language, culture, food, fashion, etc, etc.  Move to the part that interests your family and find out what your ancestors were doing with that favorite aspect of your history.  (page 34)
3. Keeping good track of the sources for your family history information is critical because source citations give future generations something to build on.  Well documented sources will help others in analyzing and building on your research and will be crucial to future family member's successes.  (pg 156)
4. Most likely the everyday food you cook already contains a mixture of the recipes that were handed down from your family members.  Record your family recipes and make sure your family knows a little bit about the people who cooked those recipes before you.  When there are tricky instructions, make an event out of making the food together so that the next generations can continue the tradition.  (pg 113)
5. Encouraging journal keeping helps a person think through what is going on in their lives and preserves the present for future generations.  Likewise, when a mother or father, grandmother or grandfather, aunt or uncle consistently records the love they have for the children in their family and keeps a record of the cute things they do, they create a great keepsake for the coming generation.  (pg 95)
6. Look for the time period and culture of your ancestors in the entertainment you choose.  Try their genre of music.  Point out similarities in movies or TV series that relate to your ancestor's lives.  Even family movie night could produce more understanding about the cultural forces that helped to form your family.  (pg 120)
7. Creating a time capsule can help your family members think about their future family and what life will be like at a later time.  When creating the capsule, share an artifact or heirloom from your family's past and talk about how important the decisions they make now are to the future generations in your family.  (pg 91)
8. Use the Library of Alexandria Rule to make sure your family history information survives into future generations.  The more copies there are of your family records, the more likely they are to survive.  Share, share, share your family history information so that it is disseminated and thus preserved for someone to be able to find a copy later.  (pg 184)
9. Don't worry if you need to resort to incentives or even bribery to engage your family member's help with a family history project.  Many hard core genealogists will tell you that they first became involved because their grandparent paid them to help with their family history efforts.  (pg 64)
10. Curiosity is best encouraged when you don't over program the youth in your family.  Give them a problem you've been working on and encourage them to help you find more.  Even if you think you know everything about a particular part of your family, you'll be amazed if you stand back and watch where they go with it.  (pg 35)