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.

A Very Special Chart for a Very Special Young Man

James Taylor (center) and his parents. Photo provided by
and used with express permission of PBS Communications.

Not too long ago we were contacted by Josh Taylor and the producers of the PBS show  Genealogy Roadshow asking us if we would print a chart for a young man being featured on their show.  As the show discussed, this young man's name James Herschel Taylor and he is as sweet as they come.  Of course, we were thrilled to help in any way we could.

James Taylor is the son of Berhonda and James Taylor and he has had a keen interest in his personal genealogy, as well as ancient history.  James has Asperger's Syndome, a form of Autism.  He's a brilliant kid whose interest in his heritage and the world history surrounding his background is inspiring.  Everyone at Genealogy Roadshow fell in love with him and his family and I have to say, we did too.  We have experience with Asperger's in our family and so this story touched very close to home for us.

James is featured on the St. Louis Central Library episode of Genealogy Roadshow (aired January 19th, 2015) and can be found here  the show's website (linked through on pbs.org).  His story starts around the 33:17 minute mark and ends around the 42:43 mark.  You can see our chart though from 41:52 to about 42:14.  The show did a DNA profile on James and asked us to include his DNA map on the chart, to show were his ancestry in located.  Now, where else can you find a chart like that?  Of course, Josh knew exactly where to go for what he was looking for.  We were able to pull together the chart very quickly and get it right out to the producers of the show for them to present to James and his parents.  It was a great experience and of course we all got teary watching he and his family get so emotional about having their ancestry on display for them.

We all enjoyed the experience of creating this chart that meant so much to James and his family.  It was clear that it was important to them to not only have new information about their family, provided by Josh and the producers of the show, but also a tangible reminder of that history.  It's just a great example of one of the reasons why we do this.  There is distinct power and stability in being able to see those who have come before you.  Berhonda, James's mother, said at one point when looking at her ancestry, "You long for someone, and you wish you could meet them."  We have that innate pull and desire to know our ancestors in each of us and charts are such an amazing way to "meet" them and reinforce that connection each day.  This was just another of many highlights for us at Family ChartMasters.  I was so happy Josh came to me to design a chart for James and I look forward to working with Genealogy Roadshow again in the future.  We hope James and his family treasures their chart, in their home, for years to come.

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 Jewish Ancestor

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

First I have to give a big thank you to Schelly Talalay Dardashti, Daniel Horowitz, and Tammy Hepps for their feedback.  All three were so generous with their time and help and the book is much better because of their contributions.  I am indebted and in awe of their genealogy expertise. 

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

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 Charoset
· Find your family’s place in the Diaspora
· Learn the Hebrew alphabet
· Complete a genealogy word search
· Enjoy a Yiddish folktale and Nasrudin stories
· Color, cut out and tell stories with Jewish ancestor paper dolls

· Explore many other activities about your family’s history

Look at some of these pages:

 

This book will arrive in time for Chanukah 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

Report from the FamilySearch Blogger Dinner Part I

I got to go to the blogger dinner last night to catch up on everything that FamilySearch is doing.  It was great seeing everyone and getting a chance to listen to the FamilySearch presenters and have some time to talk to them.  Lots of exciting new things going on.

David Rencher started out by talking about how they are ramping up the camera teams.  They are hoping to have 500 teams around the world doing digitization by next year.  He also said there are 10 images created for every one image that is indexed.  So we are in great need of more indexing.  That's still a great problem to have though.

He also said they are getting better at tracking what is going on in the Family Tree.  They are tracking people with multiple parents (especially many sets of parents--obviously a problem) and that number is starting to go down.  We are making progress on cleaning up the data that was brought in from the myriad of FamilySearch databases when Family Tree was created.  And we are getting better at putting in good data.  So that is good news too.

Then Dan Call spoke about the upcoming RootsTech conference.  I'm really excited about the two lectures they accepted of mine, "Family History Adhesive: The Science of Why History Binds Families and the Simple Tech of How to Do It" and "6 Steps to Choreograph Your Research Across the Internet" (More to come on that in a bit) The theme is "Who Inspires You?"  I don't remember seeing that theme in the call for papers. I wish I had known about it because I might have submitted entirely different stuff.  I'm always talking about being inspired by your family history (for example here and here--besides my books).  I think I have alot to say about that.

One statistic that caught my eye was that in 2013 there were 5250 paying attendees of RootsTech.  And in 2014 there were 5500.  I thought that was interesting that the profitable part of the conference only increased by 250 people.  Yet the exhibitors jumped from 140 to 170.  I think the size of the non-paying attendees (Family Discovery Day, etc.) has made this look like a profitable industry and encouraged new companies to enter the waters, but in reality, the market really hasn't grown that much.  It is disconcerting to me that the expo hall has doubled each year, and is going to double in size next year, and yet the financially vested attendees has not.  This, combined with the fact that a select few RootsTech talks have been broadcast far and wide and spawned a multitude of smaller family history fairs--without vendors--has the potential to affect the industry adversely. 

Next, Bryce Roper talked about the FamilySearch Mobile App that is now available on iOS and Android.  It is looking really good.  It can help you discover something new, add stories and links to the database, quickly add photos of sources with your device's camera, and --coolest part-- create and upload a recording.  Bryce said the recordings can be up to 15 meg (about 30 minutes).  Such a great tool for people to do interviews with.  Soon you'll be able to edit vital statistics and add people to the tree.  I'm excited to see this development as I think it will attract a whole new demographic.  We had seen FamilySearch affiliates try to create a commercial app without success--again disconcerting--but I'm glad the job is getting done.  I wish a commercial app had been a viable option because we need a stronger genealogy industry.  The Memories app is also helping to capture stories and pictures etc but according to Bryce is only available in iOS so far and is not connecting those things to the tree yet.  So more to watch for there.  This is big for youth--of course one of my passions.  I think apps for mobile devices is a game changer for anyone under 30.  It is going to be alot easier to work on this with my kids now. 

We're heading out this morning to get set up for the conference.  Mark Gowan and Robert Kehrer also had some really interesting things to say about searching.  I'll cover that in FamilySearch Blogger dinner part II shortly.  In the meantime, what do you think about these issues? 

Conferences

There are two big conferences this week and next that I'd like to tell you about. I will be making the rounds at both and invite you to stop by and say "hello," if you happen to be attending either. Members of my team, Erin, Lara, and Michelle, will all be in attendance (at one or both conferences) as well.  Be sure to look for us.  We love being able to meet and talk with all of you when the opportunity arises.

The first conference I want to tell you about actually opened yesterday, July 27th, and will run through August 1st. It is the 34th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Salt Lake City, Utah. Be sure to check out the schedule from the link above, as there will be some great classes. I won't be presenting at this conference but I'll definitely be around, so keep an eye out for me and I'll watch for you.

The second conference, the BYU Conference on Family History & Genealogy, is starting tomorrow, July 29th, and both Matthew and I will be presenting here. We are each teaching classes on Tuesday, the first day. Matthew will be presenting "Get to Know Your Geezers" at 11:00 am.  I will have two classes that day, back-to-back.  I'll be presenting "Family Reunion Activities for All Ages" at 12:15 pm and then "Zap the Grandma Gap: Family History for Youth" at 12:45 pm.  Check out the other classes available at the link above, but hopefully Matthew or I will see you in one of our classes.

We love conferences and we love being able to teach others new ways to be more involved in their personal family histories. I look forward to meeting up with friends, both old and new, this week!

Involving my kids

We've had a wonderful summer around here.  Lots of fantastic family history charts for all the family gatherings going on this summer.  And thanks to our wonderful team here at Family ChartMasters I've had some great time with the kids home for the summer too.  We've had a fun time making some videos about the family history projects we've done.  Have you seen them?  Follow the Zap The Grandma Gap blog for everything I've been learning about strengthening your family by helping them explore their family history. 

Take a look:

So I've been learning about how important the family dinner is for transmission of your family history.  This last project is perfect for teaching at the family dinner table.  Take a look:

I've really been able to tap into my daughter's love for crafts and decorating, we've had a good time together and she has learned alot about her family history in the process.  Win Win Win Win Win.  Let me know if it works in your family.

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.

Finally I get to tell you--engaging my kids over Christmas Vacation (NEW BLOG announcement)

So with the launch of the book..  (Have you seen it yet?  It's really good ;)  Here's an excerpt.)
I can finally tell you about the AWESOME thing we did over Christmas vacation.  We took the kids to see Trefusis Farm. 

So this is the backdrop on my computer now. Makes me soooooo happy.

Totally, no way, the absolute coolest.  Obviously words fail..  I wrote all about it on my new blog--Zapthegrandmagap.blogspot.com.  You know how you have to be careful about telling people you are out of town and all that..  Well I could write about it over there because none of you knew about that blog yet.  Don't worry.  Now that the book is done, I'll be blogging lots more here too.  But over on the new blog we're going to be posting all sorts of new ideas about engaging your family with their family history.  Lots and lots to talk about in both places.  You'll want to keep your eye out..

Let me know what you think. 

Teenager update--Trading for Family History

Plug in to your family

 From our Newsletter

One of the things I've tried recently with my kids is to "trade" them for family history.  I'll play their video game or do something else they want me to do with them for an hour, in trade for them letting me give them a tour of their family history.  It as worked remarkably well and I highly suggest you give it a try with your family.  I have learned a lot about their interests, which has strengthened our relationship--a great thing in and of itself.  But then they've been quite patient with me as I've plugged them in to some of the things they can learn about their history.  There have been a few "hmmm" and "wow" moments that I know will only strengthen their sense of self and grounding in their roots.  Every little piece of the puzzle helps put together that big picture that I want them to have as adults.  Give it a try.  And let me know how it goes.

Teenager update--Lesson learned.

With our church group, my son recently went up to spend some time at the Riverton Family History library.  I tagged along for a little bit and I had a good laugh when they taught me something I'd never supposed. 

Suzanne Curley, the director of the Riverton library is on my UGA board.  We are working together on the Saturday morning keynote address for the UGA fall conference in September (register at ugagenealogy.com).  The title is, "The Cool Parts of Family History: Kids Having Fun." I tagged along with our youth group for a little bit to get some video for our presentation. 

While I was there I got to watch my son and his best friend explore the internet sites they had just learned about.  They were looking for more information on their families.  My son's friend came up with some interesting discoveries that he was excited about.  Look what his response was:

That cracked me up.  What a different world they live in.  He took a picture of the screen with his Iphone in order to save it and send it to his Dad.

Now I don't know if you would have thought to record your findings that way, but I wouldn't have.  And I don't know if this is the best idea on how to record your research, but I'm sure the next one he comes up with will be something I never would have thought of too.  I found this picture to be a great symbol for what I have been learning about how to involve your teenagers.   Let them go.  Stand back and watch, and you will be amazed.  They will teach us new ways to use the technology and accomplish more if we will just get out of their way and watch them figure out how to do it.  When we come in and try to teach them up how to do it, they don't resonate with it.  We have to let them be new and let them explore.

I keep reminding myself--they don't have to do it my way.  As long as I don't squash their enthusiasm, they will be much more skilled at it when they are my age than I am now.  They don't have to be perfect at it.  They can be beginners.

And now I'm going to keep reminding myself--I have to get out of the way so that *I* can learn from *them* how to do it better and how to use technology.

Teenager update--Family history trip

We had a bit of a family history trip this summer with my 15 year old son.  I took him with me to Burbank for the Southern California Genealogical Society conference.  We had a great trip and he helped me with my lectures and with the booth.  It was good to have time to talk to him on the drive.  I took the opportunity to show him around Westchester. CA where my mother grew up and where I spent my summers with my grandparents. 

We went to the house where my mother grew up.  It was easy to find because I still have the address soundly memorized because of all letters I wrote my grandparents as a little girl.  It turns out the house was for sale.  The house didn't look like it was in very good shape, but hopefully there will be new owners that love it soon.  There is my son out in front.  And the pictures below are left to right: My mother and her sister in the late 40s, me and Grandpa in about 1971 and a picture from when we visited in the late 90s after they had moved.  It was so fun to show him the neighborhood and tell him about my adventures in the summers--that's the bumpy sidewalk where I learned to roller skate, and here is the market we would walk to for "pop rocks" candy.  I showed him the church they attended and where my parent's wedding reception was.  It was so great to be in the old neighborhood again. 

We went to her high school.and her elementary school. I told him about how she and her friends would take summer school just to be closer to the beach and then they all would go hang out at the beach afterward.  Mom was in Accapella Choir here with the 60s musical group the Turtles.  We drove past the elementary school too. 

And we went out to the beach, where my Mom spent so much time and where we played as little children. I had forgotten about all the hills going out to the beach and how it seemed we would never get there--even though it was only a few minute's drive. 

He put up with me getting all sentimental.  I don't know how much he appreciated the tour but he was good natured about it.  But I was really struck with the fact that it is now up to me to pass on these memories.  I had never purposely gone back to that neighborhood on my own.  We have been past there several times with my parents since my grandparents moved in 1991.  We've taken trips down to Disneyland, etc and we always take a drive through Westchester to see how the house is doing.  But my parents were always in charge.  This was the first time I had driven there myself to show the next generation where it was. 

As we drove around, the memories were thick--I can still see my grandparents living there and smell the jasmine bush next to the kitchen window that would smell so good in the evenings when the windows were open.  I can see the strawberry cookie jar and hear the way the washing machine rattled.  But he knows none of that.  It was up to me to make that come alive for him.  I was amazed that even as young as I am--and with my parents still very much alive--the torch had already passed to me to pass down memories of people the next generation didn't know. 

And I loved my grandparents so much.  I really wanted him to know them.  I'm still working on that.  But we had a wonderful afternoon. 

And guess what--we were blessed with a little bit of serendipity.  I think my grandfather smiled down on us.  When we were done, we drove over towards the grocery store where my grandparents always shopped looking for a late lunch.  It has been turned into a strip mall.  Right where we went shopping all the time was Grandpa's favorite resturaunt.  So we had lunch there--wishing Grandpa was really there to enjoy it with us.  Maybe he was.  Maybe he really was. 

Indexing the 1940 census

Guess who is doing the most indexing at our house?

12 year old daughter!!

Yeeeeessss!

Letting her do it on my ipad doesn't hurt. It's just more fun on there. I think we've found a great new project for my daughter. Indexing is addictive.

Janet Few--Harnessing the Facebook Generation--a great lecture at WDYTYAL

I had the opportunity to catch a class by Janet Few at Who Do You Think You Are Live 2012. Her title was "Harnessing the Facebook Generation" so you know I had to check that one out. I learned a lot from her perspective.

She geared her remarks to people who were concerned about the future of their family history research. Janet suggested that getting younger people involved were crucial to ensuring the future of your research. Genealogists need to be concerned about making the hobby attractive to the next generation. She conducted a quick survey at the Devon Family History Society stand at the conference on Friday. They asked Who Do You Think You Are Live attendees whether or not they were worried about what would happen to their research ? Two thirds of the people said that, yes, they were concerned that someone would care about it after they were gone. Genealogists should be really concerned about getting the younger generation involved.

Janet was absolutely right when she stated that we need to be asking ourselves why they are not interested. I think Americans are a lot like the British in saying they have other commitments. It was interesting in the difference between the British and American focus on the archives rather than the Internet. In that way I think Americans may have the advantage in attracting the next generation because we are so focused on the Internet rather than going to an archive. I thought it was amusing that she felt one of the excuses young people might use was that visiting the archives was expensive. It is so much less expensive there than it is for an American to travel to visit an archive, especially archive abroad. Perhaps that is an excuse that Americans can use even when they are older.

I found it very refreshing to hear her assert that if they are interested enough they will find the time and money. She is right. We need to focus on making sure they know how fun and interesting it is, and not worry about the particulars. They will figure the particulars out if they are interested. We just have to make it look exciting.

As I went looking for information about involving children in family history throughout this conference I could see she has an uphill battle in England making the genealogists interested in bringing in the next generation. I found responses such as "I was told as a child to be seen and not heard, so I was never allowed to ask questions about my family history," or "We can't very well have children involved in something as complicated as this.". One magazine editor told me that they hadn't published anything about getting children involved because they didn't believe that interested their readers. One of the major concerns that Janet was facing in her audience was, "Does it matter?". To that lack of concern, Janet asked, "Will the gap be too wide when they get interested later?" I had never thought about it this way, but she is absolutely right that when we don't involve the next generation, we are missing the opportunity to bridge that gap together. We need to involve them now so that it won't be so hard for them when they become interested as they become older. She also asserted that we need the tech generation to help us preserve our history. We need them as much as they need us. But we have to present it in a way that is interesting. They aren't interested in doing genealogy the way we do it.

I loved her ideas about the Facebook generation being educated differently and that the way they get info is different than the way older people access information. To attract young genealogists we need to look at the way they access information. I agree with her that they go straight to the Internet and then only sometimes do they ever get to books. I'm not sure that I agree that they are more likely to look for name in Facebook than in google, but she very well may be right. Janet talked about the Braund Family Group on Facebook. She noted that there are 200 members of the society in real life, and 200 members on facebook, but only 40 of the actual members are members on facebook--thus the facebook group attracted 160 people to their cause. Of those, she estimated that 108 are estimated to be under 30 years old. She spoke of her experiences as a young family historian. She said when she joined the Braund One Name Society, at the age of 30 she was one of 4 young members and she was amused to find that 24 years later she was still one of the youngest members. She was excited to have the society on Facebook, and felt that this was the place where most young people would go to search for information about their family. She feels that Facebook is the best way to talk to youth. Though social networking isn't a substitute for a mailing list or blog, she also noted that a local journalist was following them on twitter, yea--free publicity. But does it really help your research? For youth, a facebook group is a great place to ask questions. It is also a great place to share photos and info.

Janet had some great examples of getting younger people involved with their family history. The first, is a children's website put together by the Devon Family History Society, the Acorn Club. She said you need to ask young people how to develop a website for them. She also showed off Captainjamesbraund.wordpress.com where a doll goes from member of the family to member of the family and writes letters on the blog. Janet also recommended the Horrible Histories TV show on the BBC. We had a great time watching some of the clips on youtube. My favorite is the Tudor Diet Plan. Like I've said here too, you need to do it in a youthful way. If kids were attracted to the way we do genealogy, we'd already have way too many children interested. So we have to rethink. Janet had some great ideas.

Janet's handout can be found at http://www.sog.org.uk/events/pdf/2012-Show-Handouts/WDYTYA-20120226-Harnessing-The-Facebook-Generation.pdf You can bet I'm following her on facebook. You should too.

The Teenage Project--Taking Grandma and Grandpa to the Library Part 5

Putting it all together.

The Teenage Project--Taking Grandma and Grandpa to the Library Part 4

Grandpa and Grandson find some errors.

The Teenage Project--Taking Grandma and Grandpa to the Library Part 3

Luckily Grandpa and Grandson got some help from the librarian.

The Teenage Project--Taking Grandma and Grandpa to the Library Part 2

Grandma and Granddaughter see some success. Following in the footsteps of her Great Great Grandfather, Granddaughter finds some more information that he apparently didn't know about.

The Teenage Project--Taking Grandma and Grandpa to the Library Part 1

Grandpa and Grandson try to figure out Swiss Records.