"When You Were Just a Baby . . ."

Does your child ever ask what happened the day she was born, how Mom and Dad met, or about other family events from the past?

Take the time to tell her all the details. New research shows that the more a child learns about her family -- and her place in it -- the greater her sense of self-confidence and competence.

Most dinner conversations are about the events of the day, but it's the shared stories about the past that may have the greatest positive impact on preteens at the table.

Emory University researchers looking at how reminiscences are shared around the dinner table found that children who knew the most about their family histories had the highest scores in test areas linked to self-esteem.

Here's how to make more time for family talk:

• Eat together and encourage dinner conversation.
• Ask your kids to write up stories from the family's past. Provide the details and let them craft the story.
• Tell your kids a story about their grandparents and have them draw a picture about it.
• Help your children research your family's genealogy or create a family tree.

Stories that might be particularly interesting:

• Where did the grandparents grow up?
• What games did parents like to play?
• Who were a parent's best friends from childhood?
• What was Mom's or Dad's first paying job?

According to researchers, hearing how family members coped during difficult times is especially important when helping children develop resiliency. Don't gloss over negative events. Share the good and the bad, but be positive. And have fun!