This blog is to help children learn simple family terms and explains basic Genealogy.
🏠 Family at Home
- Mom, Dad, Step parents, sometimes full time caregivers
- Children. Brothers and Sisters. In Canada, the general rule is that a child becomes an adult at 18.
- Sometimes grandparents or other relatives live fulltime in the home
- Please note some families have other people that live in the same house. When in doubt about your family ask your parents.
🌳 Extended Family
- Grandparents → your parents’ parents
- Aunts & Uncles → your parents’ brothers and sisters
- Cousins → your aunts’ and uncles’ kids who share the same Grandparents.
- A second cousin is someone who shares the same great-grandparents as you. Their grandparent is the brother or sister of your grandma or Grandpa. One of your parents are cousins who had a child or children making you second cousins.
- Friends of the Family maybe added to show children safe people.
- Some parents often call close friends “Aunt” or “Uncle,” even when they are not part of the family. In some cultures, people also call older adults “Auntie” or “Uncle” to show respect. This can make family trees harder to understand, but it also shows how people care for each other.
A Quick TFS Safety Point
Talking about family units often brings up babysitting arrangements or school and after school programs. Safe people are often current teachers, Principal and Family Doctor and after school program leaders. Stranger danger starts with children understanding how to identify people. In an emergency who is the best neighbor to go to. Also having names and phone numbers assessable to your child can build trust and confidence.
British Columbia does not set a specific legal age for leaving a child home alone.
Instead, the rule comes from child protection law:
- A child must not be left alone in unsafe conditions
- Parents must ensure reasonable supervision
However Practical guidelines used by many agencies state: Children under 10 need supervision and should not stay home alone. Children ages 10–12 can stay home alone for short periods when they show responsibility. Children 12 and older can handle more independence as they build confidence and life skills.
Genealogy is the study of families, ancestors, and how people are connected across generations.
It’s about tracing:
- Who came before you
- How each person is related
- Where different branches of a family tree split and reconnect
- The stories, migrations, and relationships that shaped a family
Think of it as the science and storytelling of family lines.
In Preschool we learn about Parents and Grandparents. By Grade 2 we learn about family units including Aunts and Uncles and in Grade 5 and above we use Genealogy as the study of how the Mastodons became the Elephants, how the branches split into African and Asian lines, and how you can trace which elephant belongs to which ancient herd. This can cover the Theory of Evolution depending on age groups or can help classes generate their own questions for learning themes.