Herstories

ANCHORING CHILDREN TO THEIR PAST

July 14, 2020

ANCHORING CHILDREN TO THEIR PAST

ANN MARIE KNIGHT-RENNALLSLEAVE A COMMENT

I had been teaching children a long time when I noticed that every year I would get 5 to 6 students who seemed to shine in the classroom. They were just wonderful kids. They were kind, pleasant, happy, and not necessarily the smartest students in the class. They just seemed to be grounded and were able to delay gratification. They also were capable of great empathy and seemed to always have a positive attitude.

Every year I assign a family history project, and after a time I began to see a correlation between these kinds of students . These students knew extensively about their family history and relations. They knew were they came from and who their family members were. It also seemed that the size and/or negative information contained in their family history did not matter to the student. In fact it was with relish I was told about some of the family skeletons in the closet. I suppose the child’s response was based how the information about family was presented to the child. Some students even saw the negative information a proof that their family was strong enough to overcome adversity. I am sure that some information must be left to the discretion of the parent and guardians. I feel that the sharing of information tends to anchor the child in their life. This allows children to put themselves on the timeline of their family. I believe this answers internal questions and raises self esteem.

As your family moves from location to location , your children will always be home as they are anchored in your family’s history.

                                 

You Might Also Like