In the words of Robert Heinlein, "A generation which ignores history has no past and no future."

Indeed, those words hold true even today. Our history is a huge part of who we are and a bedrock for what we hope to become.

History and Kids: The Past and The Future
Every parent dreams that their children carry on their legacy. But for that to happen, parents must ensure that they teach history to their little ones. By that, I mean helping kids understand their heritage, where they come from, and the values they represent.

A lot of parents today are guilty of not educating their children about historical facts. We’ve all abandoned that aspect of parenting and assumed that the school curriculum would fill in the gap for us. We are wrong.

History isn’t a big part of our school curriculum. At least, not anymore. Today, kids go from preschool to high school without much history learned. In case you doubt that, ask yourself: how much of the history I know today did I learn in the classroom?” I can bet that most things you know today about history are the results of self-study and accidental discoveries on TV/Newspapers/internet.

I’m sure you don’t want your kids depending on such paths only.

In that case, it’s highly imperative that you teach them yourself.

6 reasons to teach your kids history
So far, we've said a lot about why parents need to make it their life mission to teach their kids history. To bolster this argument a little further, let's explore a number of other reasons why we must take this seriously.

1. To help kids understand their society
How can one understand the society they live in without first understanding what created it? “President XYZ is the president of the country today, but who preceded him?” “How did he come into power?” “Why is the November XYZ a public holiday in our country but not in other countries?” “Mom, you said I can’t say or do this in public. Why is that so.”

Only when you sit your kids down and explain certain things to them will they fully understand their world.

So, yes, the first reason to teach your kids history is so that they will understand their society better.

2. To help kids understand the things that had happened before they were born
If you think events that happened before the birth of your kids are inconsequential to them, you’re mistaken. Historical events are there for us to learn from.

Taking your kids to museums near me and showing them artifacts from past times can help them understand the origin of the things they see today. I remember the time I found the museum that housed the first Television ever created on the Nicelocal.com website. Visiting that place made me appreciate the technology behind the operation of TVs when I got back.

Think about the number of artifacts and stories out there that your kids could learn from. The historical opportunities are infinite.

3. To help kids understand where they came from
Nothing is more intriguing for a kid than finding out there’s more to his family tree than the few faces he sees every morning.

Knowing that there are others like him somewhere – doing exploits and smashing it – can give a kid a sense of identity and something to be proud of.

In a world where people of different tribes, origins, and cultures live together, kids need to understand where their true affiliations lie.

4. To carry on a legacy
My family has a tradition of naming every first-born son after the grandfather of a particular generation.

I never understood the reason behind this until I gave birth to my first kid, and my dad insisted that I name the boy after him or at least add his name to the boy's list of names. At first, I was reluctant. But when he showed me the family tree dating back hundreds of years, I quickly fell in love with the tradition.

I contested the decision because my dad failed to mention the tradition until now. I vowed not to make the same mistake with my kids.

Kids should be made aware of important family history at an early age. That way, they’ll understand the tradition at play in their family.

5. To inspire and motivate kids
Diving into the history of music greats like Michael Jackson can inspire a music-loving kid to go after their passion.

Showing clips of the first man to land on the moon can motivate the younger ones to someday go even further into space.

Narrating the exploits of legends like King Arthur of Camelot can gear kids to aspire to be the best version of themselves.

By and large, diving into ancient histories can give our little ones the motivation to make the most of their lives.

6. To teach kids things you perceive they may not be taught in class
As much as our academic curriculum is getting more advanced by the day, many important facts and history are still not being taught in school. And that is because modern history classes only focus on the basics.

To immerse kids into the rich history of our world, you need to scratch beyond the surface. You need to go into the core details of events – not just dates and names. Then and only then can you be certain you’re teaching your kids everything they need to know.

Sadly, the school syllabus won't do that for you.
That is why you have to take it upon yourself to teach your kids. Spend time going through historical stories and facts with your children. If they’re old enough, let them go into the history books and learn more about topics, events, and ideals on their own.

By and large, make sure you teach or compel your kids to learn those things you feel may not be mentioned to them in the classroom.