Brave Roots continued

Resilience, or the ability to overcome challenges in life, is a trait many parents hope their children will develop.  Resilient children are more likely to have good emotional and mental health.  

Research has shown that children who know more about their families and family history are more resilient and tend to do better when facing challenges in life.  This may be because seeing patterns of overcoming failures and surviving hard times can help children recognize that people can recover and triumph, despite hardships.

(Laura Pinhey [heraldextra.com] titled EveryDay Strong: Teaching kids about family history helps increase resilience.)

One of the best things families can do is develop a strong family narrative. In one study from Emory University, researchers developed a scale involving 20 questions that measured children’s knowledge about their family history.  Questions included, “Do you know where your grandparents grew up” and “Do you know where your parents met?’’  The questions proved to be a good predictor of children’s emotional health and happiness. The questions also showed that children who were informed of their family history were more resilient and handled stress better than those who were not informed. 

Lastly, children who were able to answer more questions showed greater family unity, less anxiety, and less behavioral problems. (To read the rest of the article, click here Bruce Feiler, “The Stories That Bind Us,” The New York Times March 15 2013)