The Importance of Family History

Completed multiple choice question from “One Big Happy Family” by Bruce Feller in Parade on February 17, 2010, page 6:  When a team of psychologists measured children’s resilience, they found that the kids who knew the most about their family’s history were best able to handle stress.

“The more children know about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives and the higher their self-esteem.  The reason:  These children have a strong sense of ‘intergenerational self’ –they understand that they belong to something bigger than themselves, and that families naturally experience both highs and lows.”