Family tree projects

[FamiliesShareGerms]

What do you do when the request for baby photos for a family tree project comes home from school? Send in the earliest ones you have from when you first met?

Had hoped to have a few more years before worrying about this one...

[morethanpotatoprints]

Hi.
Do you have a copy of a photo from when your dc was tiny.
Then photos of you/ your dh and dc from when you fist met.

As an adopted person I used to hate things like this as in those days adopted parents were never given a very early photo of dc.
Do they give these now?

[FamiliesShareGerms]

We have got some - though she doesn't really look like "her" in them, for various reasons.

Presumably the tree just includes me and DH and our ancestors and we smile and nod at the fact DD looks a bit like my mum and has the same name (by coincidence) as a great grandparent?

[fasparent]

Always a sensitive issue sometimes schools don't think in the same box.
You can alter enlarge photos on computer can make it fun for the child include in the process.
Had one child who had none went through family photos themselves and took in one of another child unbeknown too us, got a call from the teacher as too the colour of the child's hair on the photo, all too late had too go with the flow., still every one was happy no issues.

[morethanpotatoprints]

Just a thought OP.
My dc have all done this iirc in y2.
It usually follows with a discussion about families and their different make up. It may be as well to prepare her if she is around this age.
FWIW mine all enjoyed talking about why they had so many grandparents as I gave them the names of my bm/bd just to confuse them more.
I'm sure your dd will be pleased and proud to talk about her mum and dad and sharing her gps name.

[TeenAndTween]

ummm. Tell the school what a rubbish plan they have and how it is inappropriate for not only you but other children too e.g. those with absent Dads etc??

Send in any old baby photo.

Send in a photo of you instead.


Our school has lots of children in various circumstances and did the 'growing up' topic without any need to ask for photos from home.


If you're already hitting this you need to be having words with the school about other stuff they need to handle more sensitively in future too.

• PSHE - Mum & Dad loved each other so they made a baby (y2)
• PSHE - nature v nurture issues (y4)
• Writing autobiographies (we hit this y5)
• Goodnight Mr Tom (y5/6)
• NSPCC assemblies

[FamiliesShareGerms]

DD is much younger than Yr2, so it's caught us rather unawares! Thanks for all your thoughts, will ponder how best to handle this

[adoptmama]

I always remind the school that this is insensitive. Really annoys me - and I am a teacher working in the same school! Had this since Nursery. Now I remind them this is crap and give them alternatives!

[Hulababy]

I do a family tree project with y2s at times. I mention about all families being different and that sometimes we know a lot about of family and sometimes nothing. I also say that we are doing it based on who is in our own current family tree. I actually spoke to the parent of a recently adopted child about the project beforehand too as to the best way to approach it with her. She did it for the people she calls mum and dad, grandma and grandad. I never ask for photos. And we only spend one brief lesson on it as an introduction.

We then move on to our school family tree - using teachers and pupils from our archives instead.

[Kewcumber]

My first full week of school in reception class was a baby photo and putting together a memory box of important things from their first year (DS was 1y when adopted!)

This was sprung on me despite making a point to the teacher at our home visit of the sensitivities of such a project!

The photo wasn;t too big a problem because in early photos of him at 11 months he looks about 4/5 months old.

The memory box was a tad more awkward - DS filled it with think referencing his adoption and the "baby house" he lived in. I could just see the teachers face when confronted with the equivalent of "this is how it was in the orphanage , Miss"!!!

Luckily for her, I edited his box and rehearsed him a bit to take the edge off what he has meant to say. As it happens in reception they're generally interested in what they have to say but not one bit in what anyone else has to say.

There was another adopted child in his class with a much trickier story and who was adopted around 2.5yrs (her mum and I had a mutual moan). I thought the whole thing was badly thought through but we pretty much stage managed it ourselves as parents.