Thanks to massive advancements in science and technology, we are gaining increased access to all sorts of information. If we want answers to pretty much anything, search engines will be able to draw up results that provide information, answers, or further sources to refer to. This convenience is being used in countless ways, but one thing more of us are tending to use the internet for is getting to know more about our past, our family, and our ancestors. If you're considering creating a family tree, you're far from alone, and you may even find that there are close or distant relatives seeking out more information about you too! Here's some more information that can help you to create your own family tree and gain more insight into yourself as an individual!

Why create a family tree?

Now, there are countless reasons that you might want to create a family tree. If you are remotely interested in your ancestry, who you are, and where you came from, a family tree (also known as a genealogy chart) can help you to achieve this. Other common reasons for family trees can give you insight into your heritage, help you trace genetics and family health concerns, put you in touch with living relatives, and more. If you are ever in doubt as to whether you are genuinely related to people, you can always carry out genealogy tests, such as a DNA paternity test.

What to include in your family tree

There's no one way to create a family tree. The tree can be as simple or as complicated as you want and there are countless ways to go about creating your own. You can keep things really straightforward, creating a simple chart including you, your parents, your grandparents, and your great-grandparents. You may want to create a tree that includes your siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. You may want to tie together your family tree and your partner's family tree. Your family tree can go back as near or far, as narrow or as wide as you want it to.

Getting started

Before getting started, it's always a good idea to determine whether you have to start from scratch and do all of your research yourself, or whether there's already an existing tree out there that you can draw from. Is there a family tree online? Does anyone in your family already have information to give you a point to start from? Can you find images or documents that show further insight into different family members' lives and history? This is your tree, so decide where you want to start and what you want to include. You can work at it one step at a time from there. You can create your tree online or you may want to create a paper tree in the form of a book or booklet.

As you can see, creating a family tree can be extremely rewarding, making the hard work all worth it. Invest some time and effort into the venture and you'll get to learn a lot more about yourself and others in your life!