RootsTech from a teenage perspective--guest blogger

This is a guest post written my my 13 year old daughter.  I asked her to write about what she thought of the sessions for teenagers last weekend at RootsTech.   She typed her ideas about family history conferences into her phone as she listened to the lectures.  I've preserved all of the original spelling for you and all of the passion.  She is definitely my daughter.  I do best with spell checking too.

I don't exactly like how they all talk about the same thing. It is probably just me because I've been to so many but it seems like they all talk about exactly the same thing. They all talk about how "we have to get children involved in family history" and we have to teach them what our history is and family history is so fun and it is a good way to spend your time.  

I think the first thing you should do is just put up some geniolagy charts and pictures of your ansesters.  Don't totally jump in and say "oh go do indexing and go find some ansesters" that I've never heard of before. Start slow . Maybe after that just start telling them a couple of the story's every now and then but try not to tell the same story's then it gets reely boring and it makes them think that it's boring and totally shuts them down.

          Next try introducing them to  roots magic or something and let them go find random people.  Do not stand over them.  If they have questions they will come to you.  If they are not to much into computers like me then  try giving them recipes from your ansesters at some kind of craft like paper dolls or try collages. If you have any thing from your ansesters you can show them that

Another thing you can do is plan trips to go see where they lived. Let them explore don't give them a huge presentation or whatever on what is what. They will figure out and mabey it's just me but my mom takes forever to go through things so you can go find things while they go explore.  Don't stop them in the middle either.  If you want to take a picture take it while they are looking around don't make them stop and get them to them to smile becouse they were probilbly looking at something and you just killed the mood. It makes them not want to do it any more becouse you take too many pictures and you don't let them explore for themselfs.

Then introduce them to actual family history like making charts but again let them do it unless they have questions don't take over. It totally kills there perspective of family history.  It makes them think that its is sooooo boring and it's something that old people do for fun but if you let them do it it is much more fun for them.


Janet again--I don't know about you but I learned alot.  And maybe more is sinking in than I thought there was. Apparently there are some things we have done that she has enjoyed.  And she's intrigued. That is very very good.