Children often complain that studying history is dull and pointless. However, learning about family heritage is interesting, builds strong roots, bonding across generations, and leads to the study of other time periods and cultures. What better way to homeschool history!

Start by giving your child a glimpse into the past. Show your child old photo albums and identify different family members. Tell your child what was going on in the world at the time the photo was taken. Recount stories about individuals and family events.

Pull out old clothes and mementos, and discuss how things change over the years and go in and out of style. Talk about world events during the year you were born. Include information about:

* technology that was available when you were a child,
* inventions and discoveries that were made,
* economic conditions,
* presidents, and
* famous heroes and celebrities.

Involve other family members in your studies by having your child interview a relative. Let your child listen to grandpa talk about his childhood, and ask questions such as:

* How did people communicate?
* How did people entertain themselves?
* How did most people earn a living?
* What was the political/economic climate?
* What has changed for the better or worse?

During the interviews, your child is not only bonding with a family member, he is learning about another era.

Supplement these discussions with historical fiction, nonfiction books and documentaries. Have a history encyclopedia available and search for information on the internet. As a related homeschool field trip, visit a living history museum.

Don't forget to study your family tree. Learn about famous people and events from your family's homeland. Find out why your ancestors decided to migrate, and think about the traditions you have lost or maintained.

Study stories, traditions, food and dress from your family's country of origin. Compare and contrast them with those of the country in which you currently live. Include homeschool writing activities in your studies by creating a family scrapbook, journal or newsletter.