Friday, November 28, 2014

Resilient Coping and Your Kids


By now, it should not be a secret that: A) I am presenting at Rootstech 2015 and B) I am doing a great deal of research on the scientific benefits of genealogy on youth. The more I prepare for my Rootstech presentations, the more excited I get to share all of this information with all of you.  Be sure to stop by my presentations, or our booth, to talk to me and let me know what you think about the topics I'm presenting. I am particularly pleased with all of the data I am gathering on the scientifically proven benefits of genealogy on young people. The documentation of improved intellectual and emotional performance in relation to family connections is fascinating.  Of course, I have been saying it for years, so maybe I just like having scientific evidence to finally back me up. You know, something to show my kids and say, "See, I told you genealogy will help you!"

As a result of my focus on this topic, someone pointed out something to me the other day on resilient coping in young people.  The original article can be found here and it is an interesting read.  Linda Graham is the author of the paper and the idea behind The 5 C's of Coping.  She talks about discovering these 5 C's during her 20+ years of practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist.  The 5 C's are as follows:

  • Calm - Staying calm in a crisis can help us cope with what is happening to us.
  • Compassion - Keeping an open mind and heart can help us view our (or someone else's) situation with compassion and helps us use past experiences to be resilient in current circumstances (she goes on to list how to do this, step by step, in the original source).
  • Clarity - Seeing the situation from different perspectives (and with compassion) can help us to be flexible in moments of stress or trial.
  • Connection - Seeking help allows us to connect to personal resources (family, present and past).
  • Competence - Learning from others allows us the ability to become adept at alleviating personal suffering with effort and mindful practice.
Do you see a pattern with these 5 C's and families? We can all learn, and then in turn teach our youth, how to successfully navigate personal trials through sharing family history and personal family narratives. Can you imagine the power a story of an ancestor who struggled through The Great Depression, or World War II, or another difficult life event, could have on a young person? The idea that he or she is related to someone who suffered or who was frightened or who was overwhelmed and then endured is enough create a sense of Calm, Compassion, Clarity, Connection, and Competence--all in one felled swoop.  It's like packing a parachute for your child. Sharing your family history and family narratives is their back up pack, in case the first attempt to pull the cord fails. You've given them the ability to recall, and then lean upon, the experience of another person that has had a direct influence on their personal ability to succeed in life. 

I don't know about you, but I know that I am always looking for ways to cope a little bit better with life's curveballs.  And this list of the 5 C's of Resilient Coping is a nice, neat, little cheat sheet for that. And I know that if you've met me, and spent any time with me, you'll know that I often talk about experiences where I was overwhelmed with something in my life and then remembering an ancestor, or a family line, helped me to realize that everything was going to be fine--if my family had gone through far worse things and came through stronger for it, so would I!

So, then, the real question is: how do we instill these principles in our children? Easy. Start young. So many people think genealogy is a "grandma hobby." It isn't! We've got to be the ones who change that stigma, however. If we act like our children and grandchildren are too young to "get it," well then, they'll behave in the exact same way! So we have to be on our toes to find ways to be creative and clever in how we introduce our children and grandchildren to family history. Stories are always a sure bait. Children love stories. So tell them stories about you, your parents, your grandparents. Just talk with them and find common ground where you can share and they can learn. Playing with your children and grandchildren is another great way to get them involved.  Pull out some old toys or books you had as a child, play dress up in some old clothes in that cedar trunk in the attic, or teach them the games you played as a child--you know, the ones that didn't involve remote controls and televisions. These are all easy ideas to get you started. 

And lucky for you, I have made it even easier with my Zap the Grandma Gap Books and Activity books.  Each work book I have created is targeted to a specific family heritage.  My newest books (out in time for Christmas gift-giving) focus on Jewish, Mormon, and Pioneer histories. These have been added to my line of British, Swedish, German, and Civil War histories. For parents and grandparents, I have my book and power up workbook to give you ideas, help, and hints to close the genealogy gap in your family. It seems too easy, but truly, something as simple as a fun activity workbook is enough to spark your child's interest in their family history and then you are on the road to helping your child develop the 5 C's and become a more resilient person. Your children think they are just playing games, solving puzzles, and coloring paper dolls. But you and I both know that they are connecting to who they are and where they come from. And believe it or not, down the road, that may make the difference in your child "bouncing back" from a hard life blow, or "being out for the count." It's critical for us to give our children a fighting chance from the start. And knowing who they are and where they came from is the most powerful ammunition we can give them.

I hope you'll take advantage of my pre-release sale on my new workbooks (and all of my other books), to add to your gift-giving this year. If you order by November 30, 2014 you will receive 20% off of your entire order. New books and previous books alike. That is a great deal that won't last much longer! Stop by and take a look at some of the offerings each book and workbook have in store for you and your young ones. The best thing about my activity books is that your children don't even realize they are doing family history! They are just having fun. It's a simple and small thing that will lead to much bigger and better things down the road (the 5 C's of resilient coping is just the tip of the iceberg). Trust me, it's one gift you won't regret giving your child or grandchild this year!

Source: THE NEUROSCIENCE OF INTEGRATING MINDFULNESS AND EMPATHY TO 

STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE: Developing the 5 C’s of Coping: Calm, Compassion, Clarity, Connections to Resources, and Competence. Linda Graham, MFT - facesconferences.com/wp-content/uploads/handouts/seattle2012/friday/GRAHAM-Neuroscience_Resilience.pdf

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

My Mormon Ancestor

We're so excited to show off some more details about our new books.  Today we are going to focus on the "My Mormon Ancestor" Activity Book.

First I have to give another big thank you to my sister Amy Slade for her help with this book.  Also, many more great thanks to Erin Roudabush, Michelle Phillips and Christine Fazulyanov for their assistance in making this book happen.


With the “My Mormon Ancestor Activity Book” you can:
· Plan an Ancestor Family Home Evening
· Learn about Priesthood Line of Authority and how to trace it
· Find the Patriarchal Blessings of your ancestors
· Complete a temple dot-to-dot
· Document the church service and callings of your ancestors
· Gather information on your family’s missionaries
· Record information about the first LDS members of your family
· Make a handkerchief doll for church
Look at some of these pages:





These books make wonderful gifts for the holidays. Take advantage of the pre-release sale, 20% off all books at zapthegrandmagap.com, till November 30, 2014 and they will arrive in time for Christmas. Other great online and print resources to help families connect to each other by connecting to their past can be found at zapthegrandmagap.com.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Thanksgiving Decor

It's November and I am in an absolute attitude of gratitude lately.  And, I am going to do my best to keep that attitude going strong throughout the whole month.  I'm doing a couple of things in my personal life that are helping me to keep my focus on gratitude and journaling that gratitude.  Two birds, one stone.  And an extra twinge of gratitude for that.  But there are other things that I could do to help my family feel the gratitude all month long, so I turned to my handy Pinterest account for some inspiration that is not only useful, but beautiful.  And I found some really great ideas that I want to share with you.  Take a look at some ways that you can decorate around your home with family history.  I promise you'll not only like having a visual of your heritage in front of you, but you'll be reminded to keep a grateful heart for those who came before you and all that they did to pave the way for you in your own life.  Two birds, one stone.  And a twinge of gratitude. :)

The first thing I loved for Thanksgiving was this idea of a Framed Heirloom Recipe and Photo from Modern Parents, Messy Kids.  Genius, I tell you!  Genius! MPMK has got it all together with this one--they even give you a step by step tutorial and links (some links are affiliate links, so if you have concerns about that, just be cautious where you click).  And the result is really simple and beautiful.  In fact, this is such an easy project, you could gather together several recipes and photos and pull them all together for your Thanksgiving Day celebration.  Especially if you are using the recipes in your feast, how awesome would it be to decorate your home with these framed versions of the recipe and the originator of that recipe?  And, to up the notch on your host/hostessing credentials, make swag out of the frames once the dinner is complete.  Allow family members a chance to choose their favorite frame to take home, or have a drawing if some frames are desired by more than one person.  Either way, you can't go wrong.  Family Feast decorations that will go home with others in the hopes of perpetuating your family narrative to future generations.  Two birds, one stone.  And a twinge of gratitude. (You'll be singing that line by the end of this post.)

Now this one, I really loved.  What do you do with all of those old letters sitting in a box somewhere?  Well, hopefully they are digitized and filed away safely on a portable hard drive.  But then the originals, what do you do with those?  What about frame them?  (under archival glass so that they are protected from the sun and spaced away from the glass so that they don't get stuck together.) This is an idea from Pretty Stuff by Patterson Maker's tumblr and it's a beauty.  There is just something about seeing the curve and tilt of someone's handwriting.  In this day and age, with digital screens and endless fonts, it's rare to see anything handwritten.  But so many years ago, letters were the text messages and Facebook posts.  Can you imagine placing several handwritten letters around your home for visiting family to look over and read?  And, if you are one of those who has more letters than you really know what to do with, follow the advice from the paragraph above and give the completed frames away as heirloom favors to your family members (after you have digitized them for your own records, of course).  This would also make a stellar Christmas gift, if you're looking for ideas. Sharing a physical piece of family history with your loved ones in a beautiful manner-- say it with me: Two birds, one stone.  AND a twinge of gratitude. Definitely.

Do you use a specific set of dishes each year when your family comes for dinner?  What about if you shake things up this year?  Family story dishes are easy to make and would create some great dinner time dialogue!  I pinned it but I can't find the direct source of this idea, only a media cached picture.  However, these days I think we are all familiar with the Sharpie on Dollar Store dishes DIY craft.  If not, here are several tutorials here, here, here, and here.  (To name just a few.)  The general idea would be for you to write family stories on your dinnerware and then set the table with these dishes.  Or, an even better idea is to use this year as your prep year and have the dishes ready and have everyone write their family story/memory on a plate or mug and then use them next year.  *The only side note on this is that this craft is a fickle one.  It works for some and not for others.  Michelle did this once for a secret sister gift for her daughter to give away and had one failed attempt and one successful one.  You can read her personal experience tip here.*  Family stories recorded in a unique way and a conversation starter.  Go ahead, say it for me.  Don't you feel better?

And finally, I am absolutely going to do my best to do this one for my Thanksgiving gathering.  The original idea came from a guest spot by Giana (of Chic Celebrations) on the wedding planning/idea blog Ruffled and can be adapted for any kind of gathering.  Naturally you'll want to make copies of your precious photos for this project.  But it's so doable, anyone can whip this up in a short time.  It's also a great activity to include your children in (choosing the photos, handing you the photos in whatever order they like, etc).  A strip of muslin, family photos (post cards, letters, paper momentos; the list is endless), and a hot glue gun.  Seriously a no-brainer project that will knock the socks off of your dinner guests!  And can you imagine the conversations this beauty will start?  An easy and meaningful centerpiece for your holiday gathering.  Two birds, one stone.  And I'd say just a smidgen more than a twinge of gratitude on this one.

Hopefully this post has given you some ideas to stage your Thanksgiving dinner in a way that is not only stunning but personal.  With just a little bit of prep time (most of these projects would only take an afternoon and are all very kid-friendly if you have helpers nearby), your home can really stand out in meaningful way this holiday season.  Try out one of these tips.  You might just add me to your "thankful-for" list when your mother-in-law tells you how lovely everything is.  Maybe just a twinge? :)


My Pioneer Ancestor

We're so excited to show off some details about our new books.  Today we are going to focus on the "My Pioneer Ancestor" Activity Book.

First I have to give a big thank you to my sister Amy Slade (who just had a baby!) for her help with this book.  Also great thanks to Erin Roudabush, Michelle Phillips and Christine Fazulyanov for their assistance in making this book happen.
 

With the “My Pioneer Ancestor Activity Book” you can:
 ·Map out the pioneer route of your ancestors
· Decide what you would pack for a journey across the plains
· Learn how to find direction by the sun
· Compare your day to the day in the life of your ancestor
· Try classic pioneer recipes
· Write a Pony Express letter to a pioneer ancestor
· Play a game about the risks along the trail
· Contrast pioneer schools and modern schools
 
Look at some of these pages: 
 






This book will arrive in time for Christmas gift giving if you order now. Take advantage of the pre-release sale, 20% off all books at zapthegrandmagap.com, until November 30, 2014. Excerpts from all of the books can be viewed on the website at zapthegrandmagap.com/brandnewbooks. Other great online and print resources can be found at zapthegrandmagap.com
to help families connect to each other by connecting to their past.

This post crossposted to blogspot.zapthegrandmagap.com

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

My Jewish Ancestor

We're so excited to show off some details about our new books.  Today we are going to focus on the "My Jewish Ancestor" Activity Book. 

First I have to give a big thank you to Schelly Talalay Dardashti, Daniel Horowitz, and Tammy Hepps for their feedback.  All three were so generous with their time and help and the book is much better because of their contributions.  I am indebted and in awe of their genealogy expertise. 

You can take a look at the entire Table of Contents in our preview on the Zap The Grandma Gap website. 

With the “My Jewish Ancestor Activity Book” you can:
· Learn about Jewish history, traditions and culture
· Make and braid Challah bread with your family
· Solve a Jewish calendar crossword puzzle
· Record your family’s recipe for Charoset
· Find your family’s place in the Diaspora
· Learn the Hebrew alphabet
· Complete a genealogy word search
· Enjoy a Yiddish folktale and Nasrudin stories
· Color, cut out and tell stories with Jewish ancestor paper dolls
· Explore many other activities about your family’s history

Look at some of these pages:




This book will arrive in time for Chanukah gift giving if you order now. Take advantage of the pre-release sale, 20% off all books at zapthegrandmagap.com, until November 30, 2014. Excerpts from all of the books can be viewed on the website at zapthegrandmagap.com/brandnewbooks. Other great online and print resources can be found at zapthegrandmagap.com
to help families connect to each other by connecting to their past. 

This post crossposted to blogspot.zapthegrandmagap.com

Friday, November 14, 2014

Announcing Three New "My Ancestor Activity Books" for Children

Just in time for the holiday season, I've got some new Zap the Grandma Gap Activity Books coming your way! I am so excited to announce three new books for you to share and give to the children in your lives. I have created workbooks for the following heritages:
  • With the “My Jewish Ancestor Activity Book” you can:
    · Learn about Jewish history, traditions and culture
    · Make and braid Challah bread with your family
    · Solve a Jewish calendar crossword puzzle
    · Record your family’s recipe for Charosets
    · Find your family’s place in the Diaspora
    · Learn the Hebrew Alphabet
    · Complete a genealogy word search
    · Enjoy a Yiddish folktale and a Nasrudin stories
    · Color, cut out and tell stories with Jewish Ancestor paper dolls
  • With the “My Mormon Ancestor Activity Book” you can:
    · Plan an Ancestor Family Home Evening
    · Learn about Priesthood Line of Authority and how to trace it
    · Find the Patriarchal Blessings of your ancestors
    · Complete a temple dot-to-dot
    · Document the church service and callings of your ancestors
    · Gather information on your family’s missionaries
    · Record information about the first LDS members of your family
    · Make a handkerchief doll for church
  • With the “My Pioneer Ancestor Activity Book” you can:
    · Map out the pioneer route of your ancestors
    · Decide what you would pack for a journey across the plains
    · Learn how to find direction by the sun
    · Compare your day to the day in the life of your ancestor
    · Try classic pioneer recipes
    · Write a Pony Express letter to a pioneer ancestor
    · Play a game about the risks along the trail
    · Contrast pioneer schools and modern schools
 These workbooks books offer a variety of fun and engaging activities to introduce your children and grandchildren to different aspects of their personal heritage.  We've included activities like mazes, recipes, dot-to-dot, and our always popular paper dolls.  Science has shown us how valuable it is for our children to have a sense of self (academically and emotionally) and these books are a fantastic to way to introduce your children to family history in an easy, interactive, and fun way.
As a bonus for you, we are having a pre-order sale.   
This sale includes all of my previous Zap the Grandma Gap books and workbooks, as well.  The books will be shipping in December--perfect for gift giving.  These books make wonderful gifts for children and adults.  Order by the deadline to take advantage of this fantastic sale.

Watch the blog next week for in-depth previews of each new workbook.  And take a look at my previous books here.  I'd love to help you bring some genealogy into the lives of your young ones this holiday season.

(This post is also available on my Zap the Grandma Gap blog.)

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Holiday Chart Deadlines

It's that time of year again and now is the time to get your holiday orders in to ensure everything is in place for your gift giving.  We would love the opportunity to help you create beautiful and meaningful gifts for those nearest and dearest to you.  Please make a note of our deadlines coming up so that we can help you in every way possible to make this a happy holiday season for you and your family.

All International orders must be in by November 24, 2014.  This is hard fast for all decorative and working charts.  Decorative charts will include an online preview but the working charts will not.  Please allow for shipping times to meet your gift giving time frame.

Chanukah orders must be placed by December 3, 2014 for decorative charts with an online preview.  Working chart orders should be placed by December 10, 2014.  There will be no online preview for working charts. If you have an international Chanukah order, please refer to the International order deadline to ensure ample delivery time.

For Domestic orders we have two separate deadlines.  All decorative chart orders must be placed by December 5, 2014 and will include an online preview.  All working chart orders must be in by December 12, 2014 and there will be no online preview included.  If you don't mind a rush fee and higher shipping costs, decorative charts with an online preview orders may be placed up until December 12, 2014.  Working charts without an online preview and pre-created charts designed by you, can be ordered up until December 17, 2014.  But please note the extra fees involved in delaying your order.

We would be happy to offer you a free consultation and will do all that we can to provide you with memorable gifts that  will be cherished for years.  Contact us today.
 

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Hello, Instagram!

Yeah.  I did.  I joined the ranks of Instagram.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I really, really did.  Check it out.  Have no fear though, I won't clog your feed with endless selfies and "duck faces."  Well, maybe one or two every once in a while.  Because, why not? :) But in reality, I had a slightly deeper purpose for creating an Instagram account.  It's all about creating a new tradition of gratitude in my life.

You see, I am online quite a lot for my business and speaking engagements and book promotions and partnerships and so on.  My personal and my business persona are fairly united in my online presence.  And that's all good and wonderful because my business is a huge part of who I am as a person.  But some days, I feel like there is something missing in my online world that is more personal.  And that's when it came to me.  Enter my new Instagram account.  I decided this was a great and easy (hooray for easy!) way for me to keep a gratitude journal.  I hope to post often enough for you to see the things that are the closest to my heart.  I may not be able to take on the 365 day challenge just yet, but I might be able to work my way up to it.  In the mean time, swing by, follow me, check out the things I hold nearest and dearest to me, and leave a comment if you'd like.  Maybe you'll even be reminded of something you are grateful for and you can start up your own gratitude journal in one form or another.