Monday, February 21, 2011

Benefits of Sharing Family Stories

A WSJ article by Sue Shallenbarger details researchers' studies on the importance of sharing family stories with their children. They found that a sense of family history is linked to childrens' self-esteem and resiliency. And it's not the happily ever after stories that made the difference, but rather those stories where relatives who have grappled with sad or difficult events, were able to overcome and be stronger for their experiences. Kids who knew their family history had fewer emotional problems, and gained a sense of self in relation to their position in the family. A teacher, Catherine Schildknecht, noted in the article that "we think it's important that our childrent know their past."
Look for my new website, which is currently under construction, and will be released soon. It will feature "Questions to ask for finding out about your family history and immigration path to the United States".

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