How to Start a Family History Book

Having a good idea of where you came from is vital to knowing where you would like to go. In particular, you will want to begin to document your family as soon as you have kids, and starting a family history book that your kids can continue when they are older is a good way of preserving your family tree.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Find the biggest scrapbook you can to keep all of your information together. This will be the family book and as such, needs to be a special one. Make sure that you go out as a family and find just the right one.
2. Begin to gather all the information you can about your recent family. Dig deep into your past, but first stick to doing a thorough job of discovering your immediate family. Any information that tells a family member's life story should go into the book, like newspaper clippings or obituaries.
3. Have your family contribute something to the book every week, at a minimum. No matter if it is just a little written entry about their week, everyone should put in something. This book is a history of your family, and the everyday details are just as important.
4. Resist the temptation to add pictures to the album as they will clutter it up and take all of the room intended for your family story. Have a different book for the pictures.
5. Look back on the book often as the years will build some pretty incredible memories. This is the reason for the book in the first place. If you do not go back and read it, then you are missing out on the beauty of the idea. It also is a wonderful way to introduce a new member to the family. Share some funny stories, or some interesting facts about your family.