How to get youth to STOP doing family history work in seven easy steps

Step 1. 

Tell them that genealogy is incredibly complicated and they will have to take classes before they can begin. Remember to drive in how hard it is and that only an elite few are really involved.

Step 2. 

Teach them how to do genealogy in a big group setting - lecture-style. Make sure your presentation is at least an hour and a half long. No computers for the youth allowed. No videos either. They must learn by listening to one person the whole time. No talking about how fun genealogy is or about any blessings they may receive by doing it.

Step 3.

Invite them to the family history center to do genealogy on a day when they would usually be having fun. Don't allow them to socialize with each other at all. This is work time.

Step 4.

Watch and correct everything they do once they are on the computer. Alternatively you could completely ignore them, but it is really much more effective to scrutinize their every move. Your goal is to make them feel like they cannot figure anything out on their own so that they will never be inclined to do genealogy when you are not there. Don't let them come up with any original ideas. Don't give them any sort of trust or let them make any mistakes.Take control of the computer often after becoming impatient.

Step 5.

Once they have linked themselves to an existing family tree, don't give them any time to explore it. They will want to click back to see how far it goes and will get excited if they find they are related to anyone famous or historical. Keep them from doing this because it will get them excited about genealogy. Don't allow them to look for names that are already available for temple ordinances. They really should become research experts before they request temple ordinances.

Step 6.

Make sure they don't find any exciting records about their family. If they do find out some new information, try convincing them that it may not be accurate. This is part of your larger goal which is to make sure that they don't connect with their ancestors in any way. They should think of their tree as a list of names; not people. Don't let them refer to their ancestors by nicknames or think about their lives in a real way. They shouldn't read any stories or look at any pictures that might be available. Learning about their ancestor's lives will just keep them coming back for more. Make sure they go home with nothing exciting to share.

Step 7.

Tell everyone about how the youth don't have the research skills to participate in family history work. Talk about how uninterested they are in genealogy. Focus on their limitations. Even if you aren't saying these things directly to the youth, the youth will find out and start to believe it. Once you have convinced them that they are uninterested and that it is too hard for them, you have won.

Have you had any success (or failure) teaching youth about family history work? Share your ideas below!

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