Why kids need to know their family history

Remembering is a social activity, connecting us to one another as well as to the past.

“This is what memory is for,” said Ira Hyman, a psychologist at Western Washington University. “By sharing memories and having memories in common, it identifies us as having a shared background, as being friends or family members, to make us part of a social group and help us bond as a social group.”

Memories are the glue that keeps our families and communities and our sense of self together, and for children in particular, the sharing of memories, good or bad, is critical to their development. What they know of the past — where they came from and what came before them — and being able to connect themselves to their family’s history helps them navigate their future.