Preserving Your Family History with Family Photos

Family photos are more than just fun snapshots that end up collecting dust in a drawer somewhere. Whether is a professionally taken family portrait, a spontaneous picture taken while on a family vacation, or a picture that was snapped during a cute or special moment around the home, each photo provides an important component of your family history.

The Importance of Knowing Your Family History

There are several reasons to keep track of your family history. First of all, it helps keep track of any medical issues that may run in the family. But, even more than the logical reasons for keeping track of your family history, it also provides you with a special connection to your relatives - both past and present. It is undeniable that having a focus on family history and events is the glue that binds a family together. Whether times are rough or jubilant, life is always a bit better when shared with the ones you loved.

Tips for Keeping Track of Your Family History

For years, family history information has been passed down through oral story telling from one generation to the next. Unfortunately, this method for keeping track of the family history is unreliable. Stories change as they are past on from one person to the next. Even worse, they become forgotten or never shared at all.

Even if you are not sure about the past history of your family, you can start preserving it today so future generations will have it to share. Thankfully, modern technology has made it much easier to keep track of your family history. The introduction of the Internet has had a major impact on preserving family history, and the best way to do that is to create a family website at one of the many sites available on the Internet that specialize in these types of sites.

On a family website, you can build your own family tree. Since most families tend to be large and spread all over the country - even all over the world - a family tree on your family website makes it easy for each family member to add branches as necessary.

Of course, a family tree isn't enough when it comes to preserving your family history. After all, what truly brings a family history to life is photographs. So, you can create a family photo gallery to display photos of all of the members of the family. This online photo album is ideal for photo sharing and even photo printing, since family members can download the photos. To take it a step further, you can even add family video clips to your family website. In this way, future generations can not only see what their family members looked like, they can hear them as well!

Aside from a family tree and photos, you can also include a narrative family history on your website and even your family crest! These journal entries of special moments, such as a family vacation, a family reunion, and other family fun are what truly bring a family history to life. And, you don't have to worry about privacy because your family website can be password protected to allow only your family members to access it.

Getting the Younger Generation Interested in Preserving Family History

Sadly, it is human nature to lack interest in family history until we are older. Therefore, most of the younger generation is probably not very interested in preserving it. A family website is a great way to spark that interest. Today, the younger generation is used to being on the computer. It is a regular part of their lives and their primary means of communicating with each other. Starting a family website taps into the interest they already have in being on computers.

With family chat rooms and the ability to share photos with other family members, the younger generation will find themselves sharing in preserving the family history without even realizing it! In addition, it will help draw them closer to their family members and help them understand the importance of family and togetherness.

Preserving family history was always a difficult task. It was simply too easy to misplace a baby photo, memorabilia from family travel, and other precious photos. In addition, oral records of family history are simply unreliable. Through a family website and the ability to share a digital photo online, your family history will be sure to be preserved for generations to come.