One of the most direct ways to add a child into Family Tree is to link them to their parents.
Steps (website)
Landscape, Portrait, Fan Chart, and Descendancy Views
- In the top menu, click Family Tree, and then click Tree.
- Find the parent of the child you want to add.
- Click the parent's name. In the details that pop-up, click the parent's name again. You will be taken to that person’s page.
- Click the Details tab.
- Scroll down to the Family Members section.
- Under Spouses and Children, click Add Child. (If Add Child does not show, click the down arrow beside Children under the couple box.)
- If one of the parents of the child is unknown, click Add Child with an Unknown Mother or Father. Add details in a note.
- Enter information about the child, and click Next. (If you know the ID of the child, click By ID Number.)
- Review the search results. If you find the right child, click Add Person.
- If you do not see the person in the search results, click Create New.
First Ancestor View
- Sign in to FamilySearch and click Family Tree, and then click Tree.
- Find the parent of the child you want to add.
- Click the + icon in the top right above their picture.
- Click Add Child.
- Enter information about the child, and click Next. (If you know the ID of the child, click By ID Number.)
- Review the search results. If you find the right child, click Add Person.
- If you do not see the person in the search results, click Create New.
Steps (mobile app)
- In the Family Tree mobile app, navigate to the Person page of one of the parents.
- Tap the Spouses tab.
- If you see more than one spouse, tap the down arrow next to the name of the appropriate spouse.
- Currently, the mobile app has no option to add a child for a parent without a spouse. Visit the website for this option.
- Tap Add Child.
- Enter information about the child, and tap Continue. (If you know the ID of the child, tap Add by ID or Find by ID.)
- Indicate whether the individual is living or deceased, then tap Continue.
- Review the search results. If you find the right child, tap Add Match.
- If you do not see the person in the search results, tap No Match.
- Review your entry, and tap Add or Add This Person.
Steps (Family Tree Lite)
- While signed in to Family Tree Lite, navigate to the Person page of one of the parents.
- Click View Family.
- Under Spouses and Children, under the appropriate spouse, click Add Child.
- Family Tree Lite has no option to add a sibling without parents. Visit the full website for this option.
- Enter information about the child, and click Next. (If you know the ID of the child, click Find By ID Number.)
- Review the search results. If you find the right child, click Add Person.
- If you do not see the person in the search results, click Create Person.
Tips
Twins or multiple births
- Add each as a separate individual.
- Do not add the word "twin" in the name. Instead, you can specify it in Other information, or the Notes section of the Person page for each individual.
- Even if added in a particular order, the children can appear out of order. If two people show the same birth date, the system lists them alphabetically. You cannot change the order.
- If the twins died without names, enter only the last name with birth and death dates. To avoid a later merge of the apparent duplicate records, you can take these steps:
- Create a note for each to explain the situation.
- Check for possible duplicates, and mark the twins as Not a Match with a clear reason statement.
Illegitimate children
- You can link them to the biological parents individually, or as a couple.
- Do not add any marriage information for the couple. Put relevant information in a note.
- Currently, Family Tree provides five relationship types between parents and children: Adopted, Biological, Guardianship, Foster, and Step. The system assumes a biological relationship. You can specify a different relationship type for multiple sets of parents.
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