Porch Stories

Questions to ask · Childhood · for your Parents

When and where were you born? What's the story of the day you arrived?

Why this question matters

Early memories are the ones that fade first, and nobody else can fill them in. Asking about the beginning gives them permission to go slowly, and one small detail usually brings ten more with it.

Ask it on a quiet afternoon, give time for the answer, and write down the small details. That is where the story lives.

  1. What is your earliest memory?
  2. Describe the home you grew up in. What was your room like?
  3. Who were your brothers, sisters or closest cousins, and what were they like?
  4. What did your family do together on weekends?
  5. What was your favourite toy, game or thing to do outside?

From the journal

Keep their answers in one book.

This is one of the 100 guided questions in Tell Me Your Story, Dad, Tell Me Your Story, Mom. Every page has room to write the answer by hand.

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25 Questions to Ask Your Grandparents Before It’s Too Late

The questions families most wish they had asked, on one page to print or keep on your phone. Free when you join the porch list.